SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Fans gear up for India-Pakistan grudge match ISLAMABAD: Big screens are going up, TV cheer on Sunday. true that bookies have disappeared,” sales are booming and even the Taliban are Ajab Khan, 60, was forced to abandon his police spokesperson, Deputy Commissioner of getting their transistor radios ready for the his flatscreen TV when he fled North Police Dhananjay Kulkarni, told AFP. biggest grudge match in : Pakistan Waziristan, but said he had used government “We are cracking down on illegal cricket against India. aid to get a replacement. betting in Mumbai before the World Cup From the beaches of Kerala to the snowy “We saved from our relief package money begins this weekend.” Restaurants are also Himalayas, from the deserts of Baluchistan to and bought a 17 inch television for the World gearing up for the event, hosting cricket- the tea plantations of Assam, hundreds of mil- themed breakfasts and lunches. At the lions of fans will be glued to the action as the Underdogs Sports Bar and Grill in , man- two sides clash in the World Cup today. ager Digamber Singh said a whopping 24 tele- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called visions were going up to make sure diners did his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on not miss a ball. But fans in Indian-administered Friday to wish his team luck in their opening Kashmir, the disputed territory where many match at the , while Sharif issued support Pakistan over India, will not be a statement bidding his side a success. “The allowed to gather for public screenings, whole nation is praying for the success of the banned by police for fear of unrest in the team and expects the boys to do their level volatile region. World Cup results and standings best in this crucial fixture,” the statement said. The time difference with Australia means MUMBAI: An Indian man with his face ‘THIS IS LIKE THE FINAL’ Pool A the match will start around breakfast time in painted in the colors of the Indian national Prime Minister Modi may have offered sport- At Christchurch the subcontinent, but that is unlikely to deter flag. —AP ing good wishes, but some of his countrymen New Zealand 331-6 v 233 all out legions of supporters for whom a win over the have been less charitable. The broadcaster Star New Zealand won by 98 runs old enemy is almost as important as winning Cup,” Khan told AFP. “We want Afridi to score Sports has been keen to remind Pakistanis of the tournament. In the northwestern Pakistani sixes against India as it is most thrilling and India’s World Cup dominance over them-India At Melbourne city of Peshawar, big screen TVs are selling fast, entertaining part of any match.” The ongoing have beaten Pakistan in every one of their Australia 342-9 v England 231 all out with many restaurants installing the latest LED military operation has also disrupted the World Cup clashes since 1992, five in all. A Star Australia won by 111 runs screens to lure in punters today. Taliban’s plans to watch the match, but the mil- Sports advert for the match this week focused Hundreds of thousands of people are living itants said they would still try to tune in. on a Pakistani fan settling down excitedly for Played won lost tied, N/R, points run rate in temporary accommodation around north- Across the border in India, Mumbai police each of the matches over the years, getting Australia 1 1 0 0 0 2 +2.220 west Pakistan after being forced to flee the have launched a crackdown on illegal book- older with each one, only to be disappointed New Zealand 1 1 0 0 0 2 +1.960 restive tribal areas on the Afghan border by a makers who are set to take a windfall from every time. Back in Karachi, 25-year-old soft- Sri Lanka 1 0 1 0 0 0 -1.960 major anti-Taliban military operation. thousands of gambling-mad punters. ware engineer Fahad Asghar summed up the England 1 0 1 0 0 0 -2.220 Afghanistan ------Many of the displaced are hoping their big- Although gambling is mostly banned in India, mood of a subcontinent. “The World Cup is def- Bangladesh ------hitting hero Shahid Afridi, who hails from betting on cricket matches thrives through initely a big event,” he told AFP. “But for us the Scotland ------Khyber tribal district, will bring them some networks of underground bookies. “Yes it is match with India is like the final.” —AFP Aussies hammer England Finch, Marsh star

MELBOURNE: Mitchell Marsh proved the unlikely bowling star and Aaron Finch blasted the first ton of the World Cup as Australia crushed England by 111 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yester- day. The tournament favourites ruthlessly swept to victory in their opening Pool A match by posting their highest-ever one-day international total against England of 342 for nine. They then dismissed their hapless arch-rivals for 231 with more than eight overs to spare. All- rounder Marsh, making his World Cup debut, claimed five for 33 as Australia latched on to their catches with ’s mid-air screamer to dis- miss the best of the highlight reel. It was a comprehensive victory that signalled Australia as the team to beat as they bid to win their fifth World Cup and their first at home since going out in the semi-finals to England when they last hosted the event in 1992. “I don’t think we’ve made any secret about it, we’re here to win the World Cup like 13 other teams are,” Finch said. “I suppose what was great was that everyone contributed either with bat, ball or in the field, so from a team point of view it’s really good to see everyone playing well and peaking at the right time.” It was a grim night for England, who only nar- rowly avoided their heaviest World Cup defeat-in terms of runs-following a 122 run-thrashing by South Africa at in 1999. And apart from their bowlers getting flogged AUSTRALIA: England’s James Taylor (right) gestures as umpire Aleem Dar gives him and dropped catches, England skipper Eoin out lbw during the Pool A 2015 Cricket World Cup match against Australia. —AFP Morgan was out for his fourth in his last seven innings. ICC admit umpire error “Probably the most frustrating thing was that we were making errors that we haven’t made this trip and again Australia played well but we had in England’s final opportunties to take the game to them and we didn’t,” Morgan said. “They certainly were the better MELBOURNE: The International Cricket referral to the third umpire, who gave team and they outplayed us in every department Council said the match umpires had made Anderson out. The ICC released a statement right fromm the start which is disappointing.” a mistake after reviewing England’s final after the match, which read: “Following dismissal in the World Cup against Australia Australia’s 111-run victory over England in TAYLOR DEFIANCE yesterday which potentially cost James the Group A ICC Cricket World Cup clash at James Taylor’s face-saving unbeaten knock of Taylor a century. Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday 98 was the lone bright spot, with England While England were well beaten by 111 night, the Playing Control Team (PCT) met now having won just two of their last 16 ODI runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and reviewed the final ball of the game encounters Down Under. there was some debate about whether the which resulted in James Anderson being Opener Finch punished England for Chris final dismissal should have been termed a given run out. Woakes putting him down at mid-wicket on the “dead ball” and as a consequence James “Article 3.6a of Appendix 6 of the fifth ball of the innings off James Anderson before Anderson should not have been given run Decision Review System (DRS) Playing the batsman had scored. MELBOURNE: Australia’s David Warner (second bottom) slips on the pitch as teammate Aaron out. Anderson’s dismissal after a leg before Conditions states that the ball should have Finch thrilled his massive 84,336 home-town Finch (top) and England’s (second top) and Ian Bell (bottom) watch on during the wicket appeal on Taylor was overturned by been deemed dead when the batsman crowd with three sixes and 12 fours before he was Pool A 2015 CricketWorld Cup match. —AFP the video umpire, meant that Taylor lost his (James Taylor) was given out leg before finally run out by Morgan’s brilliant direct hit in the opportunity to score a century as he was wicket (lbw). No further runs or dismissals for a duck, Finn was caught and bowled by Mitchell review. However, Anderson was given run out for 37th over. Finch’s knock was the second highest left stranded on 98. were possible. Johnson for one. eight as he went for a single with Taylor’s protesta- The Australians had appealed for a run “The PCT spoke to the England team against England at the World Cup after West Indies England didn’t even have the consolation of tions that the ball was dead when he was initially out on Anderson at the non-striker’s end as management and acknowledges that the great Vivian Richards’s 138 not out in the 1979 final. seeing the gutsy Taylor get to a maiden ODI hun- given out failing to impress the umpires. Offcials he scampered back to regain his ground game ended incorrectly and an error was All-rounder Glenn Maxwell showed off his impro- dred when the match ended in confusion. Taylor later admitted that the umpires got the decision and umpire Kumar Dharmasena made a made.” —AFP vised shotmaking in his all-action knock of 66 off was adjudged lbw but overturned the decision on wrong.—AFP 40 balls and skipper George Bailey contributed 55. England made early inroads before Finch and Bailey restored the home side’s position from 70 for SCOREBOARD three to put on a stand of 146 runs off 156 balls India, Pakistan set after Stuart Broad took two in two balls to MELBOURNE: Scoreboard in the World Cup Pool A match between Australia and England at the remove the dangerous David Warner (22) and Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday. for blockbuster , caught behind for a first-ball duck. Australia England Woakes followed up with the prized wicket of D. Warner b Broad 22 M. Ali c Bailey b Starc 10 Smith for five to have the Aussies wobbling at 70 A. Finch run out (Morgan) 135 I. Bell c Starc b Marsh 36 ADELAIDE: Cricket’s version of a gladiatorial With seamers Umar Gul and Junaid Khan for three. England’s became ragged and S. Watson c Buttler b Broad 0 G. Ballance c Finch b Marsh 10 street fight will play out today when defend- sidelined with injuries, Pakistan suffered a Maxwell smashed seamer for four con- S. Smith b Woakes 5 J. Root c Haddin b Marsh 5 secutive fours to bring up his 50 off just 30 balls on ing champions India take on arch-rivals severe blow when the seasoned Mohammad G. Bailey b Finn 55 E. Morgan c Haddin b Marsh 0 his way to 66 while Brad Haddin slammed 31 off 14 Pakistan in a high-voltage World Cup clash at Hafeez was ruled out of the tournament with G. Maxwell c Root b Finn 66 J. Taylor not out 98 balls. Finn took the 2015 World Cup’s first hat-trick J. Buttler c Smith b Marsh 10 the Adelaide Oval. Millions of passionate fans a calf injury. M. Marsh c Root b Finn 23 with the last three balls of the innings but Australia C. Woakes c Smith b Johnson 37 across the world will follow the Pool B match Lanky paceman Mohammad Irfan-the had already compiled a huge total. B. Haddin c Broad b Finn 31 which organisers said was sold out in 20 min- tallest man to ever play international cricket S. Broad b Starc 0 England, who had never before chased down M. Johnson c Anderson b Finn 0 S. Finn c and b Johnson 1 utes despite an uninspiring build up by both at 7 feet, one inch-will lead the bowling more than 306 to win an ODI, soon crumbled M. Starc not out 0 J. Anderson run out (Maxwell) 8 teams. attack that includes leg-spinners Yasir Shah under aggressive bowling and tight fielding with Extras (lb2, w3) 5 Extras (lb5, w11) 16 Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s India start their and Shahid Afridi. Marsh on a hat-trick after dismissing Ian Bell (36) Total (9 wkts, 50 overs) 342 Total (all out, 41.5 overs) 231 campaign desperate to bounce back after a With India in disarray, Pakistan will seek to and (5) with successive balls. Did not bat: J Hazlewood Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Ali), 2-49 (Ballance), 3-66 (Bell), miserable bilateral tour of Australia where end their winless World Cup streak against Morgan’s woes continued when he tried to pull 4-66 (Root), 5-73 (Morgan), 6-92 (Buttler), 7-184 they were beaten 2-0 in the Tests and did not the neighbours-five successive defeats since Fall of wickets: 1-57 (Warner), 2-57 (Watson), 3-70 Marsh but instead got an under-edge that was (Smith), 4-216 (Finch), 5-228 (Bailey), 6-281 (Marsh), (Woakes), 8-194 (Broad), 9-195 (Finn), 10-231 win a match in the subsequent tri-series. 1992 — with renewed hope. superbly held, one-handed, by diving wicketkeep- 7-342 (Haddin), 8-342 (Maxwell), 9-342 (Johnson) (Anderson) Pakistan have had their bowling attack Skipper Misbah-ul Haq, who like Afridi will er Haddin. Bowling: Starc 9-1-47-2, Hazlewood 6.5-0-45-0 (3w), Bowling: Anderson 10-0-67-0 (1w); Broad 10-0-66-2 decimated due to injuries and the reluctance quit one-day cricket after the tournament, Buttler fell to a sensational airborne catch by Johnson 8-0-36-2 (7w), Marsh 9-0-33-5, Watson 3-0- to rush back one-day cricket’s number one will be inspired by Pakistan’s title under Imran Smith for 10 at short cover. Woakes and Taylor held (1w); Woakes 10-0-65-1; Finn 10-0-71-5 (1w); Ali 9-0- 13-0, Maxwell 4-0-33-0 (1w), Smith 2-0-19-0 bowler Saeed Ajmal despite the off-spinner Khan when the World Cup was played Down up Australia’s victory charge for with a 92-run stand 60-0; Root 1-0-11-0 : Australia won by 111 runs. being cleared of a suspect action. Under in 1992.—AFP for the seventh wicket. Mitchell Starc bowled Broad