Cricket-India overcome dropped catches to thump Nepal in Asia Cup

Avante

04/09/2023 19:17

Sept 4 (Reuters) - India shook off some sloppy fielding
and fired with the bat to comprehensively beat Nepal in a
rain-shortened Asia Cup match in Pallekele on Monday as they
joined arch-rivals Pakistan in the Super Four stage from Group
A.
    Chasing a revised target of 145 in 23 overs following a long
rain interruption, India romped to a 10-wicket victory under the
Duckworth-Lewis method as Skipper Rohit Sharma and fellow opener
Shubman Gill got them across the line with 17 balls left.
    Rohit was not out on 74 after smashing six fours and five
sixes, while Gill made an unbeaten 67.
    India had earlier let Nepal off the hook after opting to
bowl as Shreyas Iyer dropped Kushal Bhurtel in the opening over
and Virat Kohli made a mess of another chance in the next to
hand Aasif Sheikh a lifeline.
    Bhurtel got another reprieve when wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan
put down a simple catch off Mohammed Shami, but fell to Shardul
Thakur for 38 while Sheikh scored 58 - his 10th half-century in
one-day international cricket.
    But Ravindra Jadeja (3-40) tore through the middle-order and
Mohammed Siraj (3-61) also got in on the act before rain briefly
halted play at 178-6. Nepal then rode on Sompal Kami's 48 lower
down the order to finish with 230 in 48.2 overs.
    More rain followed after India began their chase, prompting
match officials to revise the target after a lengthy delay.
    India advance to the next stage of the tournament with three
points after their meeting with Pakistan at the same stadium was
washed out on Saturday.
    The south Asian neighbours, who only face off in multi-team
tournaments due to soured political relations, are set to clash
again in the next stage at the weekend.

 (Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Nick
Macfie)
 ((Shrivathsa.Sridhar@thomsonreuters.com;))