Asia Cup 2018, INDvHK Highlights: 'Brave' Hong Kong come close but lose by 26 runs against India
Here are live updates from the 2018 Asia Cup clash between India and Hong Kong.
India survived a mighty scare before recording an unimpressive 26-run win over minnows Hong Kong in their opening group league match of the Asia Cup on Tuesday. India scored 285/7 in their 50 overs as Hong Kong bowled well in the final 10 overs conceding only 48 runs. Shikhar Dhawan was the star of Indian batting with his 127 runs off 120 balls while Ambati Rayudu scored a good half century.
In reply, Hong Kong managed 259/8 in their 50 overs thanks to a 174-run opening stand between Nizakat Khan (92) and Anshuman Rath (73).
Earlier, Hong Kong won the toss and elected to field against India in the 2018 Asia Cup on Tuesday.
For India, fast-bowler Khaleel Ahmed made his debut. He was handed his maiden cap by skipper Rohit Sharma. The big news from the Indian camp was that KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah were left out.
Here are the playing XIs of both teams
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (w), Kuldeep Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, K Khaleel Ahmed, Yuzvendra Chahal.
Hong Kong: Nizakat Khan, Anshuman Rath (c), Babar Hayat, Christopher Carter, Kinchit Shah, Ehsan Khan, Aizaz Khan, Scott McKechnie (w), Tanwir Afzal, Ehsan Nawaz, Nadeem Ahmed.
Here is how it happened:
Latest Updates
THAT'S IT.
Hong Kong came close but lose by 26 runs, India start their Asia Cup 2018 campaign with a win.
OUT
Wicket No. 3 for Khaleel Ahmed. Ehsan Khan tries to hits a slower one towards the leg side. but gets a top-edge to short mid on.
Hong Kong keep it mathematically possible as they require another 30 runs with 3 wickets and 6 balls remaining.
Khaleel Ahmed to bowl the 50th over.
SIX
Tanwir Afzal has hammered this one over Kuldeep Yadav's head. Hong Kong require another 40 runs with 3 wickets and 18 balls remaining
OUT
Kuldeep Yadav takes his 50th ODI wicket. Dhoni removes the bails as McKechnie is beaten while trying to swing through to the leg side. The ball sneaks between bat and body to MSD.
Hong Kong are 240/7 after 46.3 overs
OUT
And another one. The wrong'un traps Aizaz Khan in front of off stump, and the umpire raises his finger.
Hong Kong require another 58 runs with 4 wickets and 32 balls remaining
OUT
Yuzvendra Chahal gets a wicket in his last over. Shah was going for a big hoink but it was away from his body. He ends up slicing it up in the air. Dhawan gets under it from point and then celebrates in his trademark style after an easy catch.
Hong Kong require another 59 runs with 5 wickets and 34 balls remaining
1,1,1,1,1,2 from the 44th over bowled by Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
Kinchit Shah and Ehsan Khan are taking Hong Kong very close to the target.
Hong Kong require another 59 runs with 6 wickets and 36 balls remaining.
India have plenty of bowling options. Bhuvi and Khaleel have 3-3 overs remaining while Chahal and Yadav have one over each to bowl. Thakur has six overs left but he is unlikely to bowl after giving away 41 runs so far.
End of 43rd over.
Kinchit Shah started off with a SIX. Hong Kong batsmen take 7 more off Chahal's next five bowls. Good over for the underdogs.
Hong Kong require another 66 runs with 6 wickets and 42 balls remaining.
Hong Kong require another 79 runs with 6 wickets and 48 balls remaining. It means that required run rate is just under 10. It would be considered doable in any other match but do Hong Kong have the firepower?
OUT
This should be it for Hong Kong. Yuzvendra Chahal gets Babar Hayat caught behind. It was tossed up outside off and Hyat was driving away from his body. Dhoni collects the ouside edge.
Hong Kong 199/4 after 40.2 overs
SIX
Incredible Shot.
Babar Hyat ends the 40th over with a big one. This shot will keep the neutrals interested in the match. It was power slapped flat over the long-off fence.
88 runs required from 60 balls now.
Hong Kong 198/3 after 40 overs
OUT
Another one bites the dust.
Khaleel is having a good debut. He bowls one at 138kph in the corridor. Carter wants to tickle it to the third man but edges it to MSD.
Hong Kong 191/3 after 39.1 overs
It looks like Hong Kong are out of contention now. In the last three overs, they have managed just runs and lost two wickets. They need another 109 runs with 8 wickets and 13 overs remaining.
Hong Kong 177/2 after 37 overs
OUT
Khaleel Ahmed gets his maiden ODI wicket.
Nizakat misses out on a well-deserved century as he departs for 92. He has reviewed it after umpire raised his finger but it was hitting middle stump.
Hong Kong require another 112 runs with 8 wickets and 14.2 overs remaining
OUT
India finally get the wicket. Anshuman Rath is gone after 73.
It was easy in the end- Rath picked out extra cover with a gentle lofted drive.
Hong Kong require another 112 runs with 9 wickets and 15.5 overs remaining
Drinks Break
Direct hit! Anshuman Rath puts in a big slide to get back in the crease and he is safe.
Hong Kong require 119 runs from 102 balls now. They are 167/0 after 33 overs.
SIX
Anshuman Rath clears the midwicket boundary to hit his first MAXIMUM of the match. Hong Kong are now going for the win.
Jadhav, however, does well to give away just a single after giving away the six off the first ball. Very crucial period of the game.
Hong Kong 164/0 after 32 overs
Great over of Hong Kong, 13 runs off it.
Hong Kong get their first boundary after 11 overs and then they get another one. Both Nizakat and Rath take gets a four. Shardul Thakur has been very costly here.
Hong Kong 157/0 after 31 overs
The run rate has done below 5 for the first time in this innings. Nizakat Khan (81 off 103 balls) and Anshuman Rath (54 off 80 balls) need to start getting some runs if they have to keep Hong Kong in the match. India will sense a chance to get a wicket here.
Hong Kong 144/0 after 30 overs
FIFTY
Captain Anshuman Rath has also reached his half century. He has taken 75 balls to get there. It has been a great suporrting act fighting through the pain of cramps.
Hong Kong 137/0 after 28.2 overs
The Indian spinners have slowed the scoring rate here but they have not managed a wicket.
The required run rate is over 6.2 now. Khan and Rath have enjoyed a little bit of luck as well. Rath has been hampered by a 'cramps' issue. Hong Kong now require another 153 runs with 10 wickets and 138 balls remaining.
Hong Kong 133/0 after 27 overs
What a start this has been for Hong Kong... they are 110 without loss after 20 overs and need 176 runs more off 180 balls. India will be getting a little itchy while Hong Kong may be sensing an historic opportunity. However, there is still a long way to go right now.
Hong Kong 110/0 after 20 overs
Nizakat Khan and Anshuman Rath have taken Hong Kong score past hundred for only the second time in history. This is the biggest opening stand for the country.
Hong Kong 101/0 after 18 overs
BIG APPEAL and REVIEW
Kuldeep Yadav hits Nizakat Khan's pads and then nearly falls over appealing for lbw.
The umpire turns it down but India take a review. It is clear the ball pitched outside leg. The decision will stand and India are out of reviews.
Hong Kong 91/0 after 16 overs
SIX and FIFTY
Nizakat Khan completes his half century in style. He He backs away and swats this over midwicket after a short ball follows him down leg side.
It has been a very good knock so far.
Hong Kong 76/0 after 11.3 overs
Good start this by Hong Kong. Nizakat Khan (40) and Anshuman Rath (15) have taken Hong Kong to 56/0 after 10 overs. Khan in particular had looked at ease against the Indian pacers. It seems India will need to rely on their spinners to win the game.
Hong Kong need 230 runs off 240 balls now.
Hong Kong have started with caution and have managed to deny India a wicket in the first five overs. The highlight so far has been couple of boundaries scored by Nizakat in debutant Khaleel's second over.
Hong Kong are 19/0 after 5 overs and require 267 runs off 270 balls now.
Nizakat Khan started with a four, it was an edge wide off first slip. Bhuvneshwar bowls a good over after that and gives away just one more run.
Hong Kong 5/0 after 1 over
And here we go..
Nizakat Khan and Anshuman Rath to start for Hong Kong. Bhuvneshwar Kumar to bowl.
The target is 286 runs in 50 overs.
India have scored 285/7 off their 300 balls. Hong Kong bowled well in the final 10 overs conceding only 48 runs.
India are still the overwhelming favourites with a formidable spin bowling attack.
Shikhar Dhawan was the star of Indian batting while Ambati Rayudu scored a good half century.
We'll be back for the chase soon.
8 runs off the last over.
Hong Kong have restricted India to after a very good start. Kedar Jadhav remains not out on 28 off 27 balls.
IND - 285/7 after 50 overs
OUT
Another one for Hong Kong. Shardul Thakur goes for the big shot but only finds the fielder.
IND - 282/7 after 49.4 overs
OUT.
India lose their sixth wicket. Kinchit Shah removes Bhuvneshwar(9). Very good bowling by Hong Kong at the death.
IND - 277/6 after 48.4 overs
Hong Kong have bowled well in these last overs. Indian batsmen find it very hard to connect. Just four runs came from that over.
IND - 275/5 after 48 overs
Poor batting from Jadhav, plays out three dot balls in a row. Just three runs came from that over.
IND - 271/5 after 47 overs.
SIX!
Kedar Jadhav finally connects, sends the ball soaring straight back over the bowler's head.
He has Bhuvneshwar Kumar for company at the crease. How much can India get?
IND - 268/5 after 46 overs.
OUT!
Another one bites the dust!
This time it's Dinesh Karthik. He never really looked settled at the crease, went for a slog-sweep but got caught at the deep mid-wicket fence. DK walks back for 33 off 38.
India have now lost three wickets in the span of eight runs.
Wonderful comeback from Hong Kong. They've never stopped fighting as a unit.
IND - 248/5 after 42.3 overs.
OUT!
What's happened here?!
Dhoni tries to guide one off the front foot towards point, the ball takes a faint edge and the keeper makes no mistake.
The legend walks back for a duck.
Off-spinner Ehsan Khan has taken a wicket he'll never forget.
The few people in the stadium are left stunned.
IND 242/4 after 41.4 overs.
OUT!
Dhawan has thrown away his wicket. Quite literally.
A tired shot from the left-hander, tries to slap one from an off-spinner straight back but fails to connect. The top edge goes straight to point.
A fine knock from Dhawan comes to an end, he walks back for 127 off 120.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni walks in to have a bat.
IND - 240/3 after 40.4 overs.
Good shot from DK, sweeps the ball past short-fine for four.
SIX!
Dhawan slogs it over the mid-wicket fence for a maximum. Sweet connection between ball and bat there.
India must surely be eyeing a total around 330 now.
IND - 237/2 after overs.
SIX!
Dhawan has decided to cut loose, gets his first maximum of the innings.
Ehsan fires it in from around the wicket, Dhawan gets on one knee and sweeps it for six.
Drama in the final ball of the over. Dhawan switches to a right-hander's stance, tries to slap the ball away but it crashes into his pad.
Hong Kong appeal for LBW but the umpire keeps his finger down. The review is taken and the replay shows that the ball would've missed the stumps.
IND - 216/2 after 38 overs.
Hundred for Dhawan!
This has been a top knock from the 32-year-old. He's looked in complete control throughout. He enjoys playing white-ball cricket, thrives in it. His hundred today has come in 105 balls.
Dhawan needs to keep going, though. He's seeing the ball like a football now and needs to help up the ante.
IND - 198/2 after 36 overs.
Another bouncer from Nawaz, another hook to the fence from Dhawan. This ploy clearly isn't working for Hong Kong.
Dhawan is now batting on 95. After a difficult tour of England, this will be a much-needed century for the left-handed opener.
Meanwhile, Karthik is struggling at the other end. The right-hander manages just a single off a free-hit.
IND - 185/2 after 34 overs.
Karthik struggling to rotate strike. Too many dot balls. He's on 4 from 11. Dhawan needs to get as much strike as possible, for he might lose his momentum.
IND - 178/2 after 33 overs.
Nawaz going for the same ploy that got the better of Rayudu - banging it short.
Dhawan, just like Rayudu, isn't wearing a helmet even against pacers. But the left-hander does well to get out of the line of the ball and hook it for four.
Another boundary. Much, much better this time.
Dhawan puts his front leg out and thumps it on the rise for four past covers. He's on 89 now.
IND - 176/2 after 32 overs.
OUT!
The partnership is finally broken.
Rayudu has a lapse in concentration after getting to his fifty.
He wasn't wearing a cap and medium-pacer Nawaz decided to bowl a bouncer. The ball had good height and Rayudu went for a loose cut shot.
Keeper Scott McKechnie does exceedingly well to hold on to a faint edge. Rayudu has to walk back for a well-compiled 60 off 70. His stand of 116 with Dhawan for the second wicket comes to an abrupt end.
Dinesh Karthik is the new man at the crease for India.
IND - 163/2 after 30 overs.
Both batsmen playing without helmets. Is it because of the lack of pace by the bowlers, lack of bounce in the wicket, or the heat in Dubai?
Meanwhile, Rayudu brings up his half-century with a loose shot. Goes for a wild square-cut, the ball takes the edge and races away to the third-man fence.
However, this has been a promising knock from the right-hander. This is a comeback match for him, after being out of Team India for a long time.
Rayudu's talent was never doubted, India will be in a great position if he keeps scoring as we inch closer to the 2019 ICC World Cup in England.
IND - 152/1 after 28 overs.
That's the 100-run stand between Dhawan and Rayudu. Solid performance by the duo.
India are in cruise control at the moment.
IND - 146/1 after 27 overs.