T20 World Cup | Beleaguered India up against gritty Afghans; Kohli faces big Ashwin question
The Hindu
In terms of cricketing logic, ignoring Ashwin would be as difficult as keeping Rohit Sharma away from the opening position, where he actually belongs
Senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin's inexplicable absence from the playing XI is in focus as India tries to figure the combination that can bring his team's floundering campaign back on track when it takes on a feisty Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.
India's run has been derailed after two crushing defeats and and the performance that they have put in is not worthy of a semi-final spot even though mathematics keeps their hopes alive.
Afghanistan have expectedly won their two games against Scotland and Namibia and were in the contest against Pakistan for the better part before with four sixes in one over.
Asian Games champion Avinash Sable opened his season in the 3000m steeple chase with a silver in the Portland Track Festival, a World Athletics Continental Tour bronze event, in Oregon on Saturday. He clocked 8:21.85s. Asian champion Parul Chaudhary took the bronze in the women’s 3000m steeple chase in a season-best 9:31.38s. Former Asian bronze medallist Sanjivani Jadhav struck gold in the women’s 10,000m in 32:22.77s, a time which was a second off her personal best, while Seema was sixth in 32:55.91s.