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Leading up to the Super 12 stages of the T20 World Cup, the top eight national sides tried out different team combinations and strategies in the warm-up games that took place during this week.
Afghanistan vs South Africa
Aiden Markram played a gritty knock to the Proteas to a respectable total. Captain Temba Bavuma played a scratchy 39-ball 31 as Mujeeb ur Rahman’s excellent display of spin bowling gave Afghanistan something to look forward to. The Afghanistan innings never gained any momentum, with regular fall of wickets. The only bright spot in the Afghans’ innings was all-rounder Mohammad Nabi’s quickfire 34, as they were restricted to a poor 104/8 at the end of 20 overs.
West Indies vs Pakistan
Batting first, veteran Chris Gayle got to spend a considerable amount of time out in the middle, playing 30 balls while only scoring 20 runs.
Short cameos from Shimron Hetmeyer and captain Kieron Pollard took the West Indies to 130/7, as Hasan Ali and Imad Wasim were the picks of the bowlers for Pakistan. However, the Caribbean bowlers had a torrid time, as Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman played good knocks to ensure an easy victory for the Men in Green.
Australia vs New Zealand
Bowling first, the Aussie bowlers did quite well, especially Kane Richardson and Adam Zampa, to restrict the Kiwis to 158/7. The top three New Zealand batsman along with Jimmy Neesham also played controlled innings, which will give them some confidence heading into the tournament.
The second innings was quite similar to the first, with Boult and Santner picking up a few wickets, while most of the Australian batsmen made valuable contributions to give them a penultimate ball victory over the Black Caps.
India vs England
Batting first, England did well, with Jonny Bairstow, Livingstone, and Moeen Ali hitting boundaries at will to take their side to an imposing total of 188/5. Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Ashwin were the only Indian bowlers who were able to put a plug on the England scoring rate.
In the second innings, KL Rahul ensured that India got off to a better of a start, smashing the England bowlers to all parts of the ground as he scored a whirlwind 51 off just 24 balls. His opening partner Ishan Kishan, in the absence of Rohit Sharma, after Rahul’s dismissal, tore apart England’s bowling attack, setting up a huge India win.
England vs New Zealand
After suffering a demoralising defeat against India, England then took on the Kiwis in their last warm-up game. Batting first, good batting performances from Bairstow, Jos Buttler, and Sam Billings made sure England reached a competitive 163/6.
This time around, however, the England bowlers were comfortably on top as Mark Wood and Adil Rashid dominated the Kiwi batsmen, bowling them out for 150, resulting in an easy 13-run victory for the England side.
India vs Australia
The Aussies, who batted first, lost three very quick wickets, putting them in a spot of bother. However, veterans Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, and Marcus Stoinis played wonderful innings to get Australia to a defendable 152/5 in their 20 overs.
But, the moderate total was hardly a challenge for the Indian batsmen, as they notched up a comfortable eight-wicket victory with 18 balls to go. The Indians will also be pleased that talented batsman Suryakumar Yadav found form and spent a fair amount of time at the crease, after a lean phase in the IPL.
Pakistan vs South Africa
The Pakistani put up a good batting display, with contributions from all the batsmen, most notably Fakhar Zaman. The pleasing collective performance took Pakistan to a huge score of 186/6. South Africa, however, didn’t get off to the best of starts, losing both openers in quick succession.
However, Rassie van der Dussen and Temba Bavuma steadied the ship, putting on 107 for the third wicket. The run rate was steadily climbing, and van der Dussen was faced with the task of scoring 19 off the last over to win. He was up to the task, and smashed Haris Rauf for a mammoth 23 runs in the over to seal a dramatic last-ball victory for the Proteas.
Afghanistan vs West Indies
The Afghans got off to a solid start as openers Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammed Shahzad each scored quick half-centuries. A decent contribution from Gurbaz and Zadran meant that Afghanistan posted a massive total of 189/5.
There was no real contribution from any batsman, barring Roston Chase, who scored a dreary 58-ball 54. Nicholas Pooran made a well-constructed 35 as the Windies slumped to a 56-run defeat. Mohammad Nabi was at his incredible best, bowling four overs for just two runs and picking up three wickets. This will be a massive morale boost for Nabi and Afghanistan, while the WI will have some serious thinking to do ahead of the Super 12 stages.
The Super 12 stages kick off on the October 23, with the Aussies taking on the Proteas in a high-profile encounter.
