India survived a scare from Nepal to win their quarterfinal match of the Asian Games 2023 cricket tournament by 23 runs. After opting to bat first, India posted a mammoth total of 202 runs, thanks to a brilliant century from Yashasvi Jaiswal. Nepal got off to a good start in their chase, but Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi picked up three wickets each to restrict them to 179 runs.
The Asian Games 2023 cricket tournament is currently underway in Hangzhou, China. The tournament has seen some exciting matches so far, and the quarterfinals were no different. India and Nepal faced off in the first quarterfinal of the tournament, and it was a close and exciting match.
India’s innings in Asian Games 2023 cricket
India won the toss and opted to bat first. They got off to a good start, with Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad putting on a 50-run partnership for the first wicket. Jaiswal continued to bat aggressively, and he soon brought up his half-century.
After Gaikwad was dismissed, Jaiswal put on another 50-run partnership with Rahul Tripathi. Jaiswal eventually reached his century, and he was dismissed shortly after for a brilliant 100 runs off just 49 balls.
India finished their innings on a high, with Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh scoring quickfire cameos. India posted a mammoth total of 202 runs on the board, which seemed like an impossible task for Nepal to chase.
Nepal’s innings in Asian Games 2023 cricket
Nepal started their chase cautiously, but they soon lost a couple of early wickets. However, Kushal Bhurtel and Kushal Malla steadied the ship with a 50-run partnership for the third wicket.
Bhurtel was dismissed shortly after for a well-made 45 runs, but Malla continued to bat aggressively. He was eventually dismissed for a brilliant 70 runs off just 40 balls.
After Malla’s dismissal, Nepal lost wickets at regular intervals. Dipendra Singh Airee and Sundeep Jora tried to keep Nepal in the hunt with a quickfire partnership, but it was too late in the day.
Nepal was eventually bowled out for 179 runs, losing the match by 23 runs. India will now face Pakistan in the semifinals of the Asian Games 2023 cricket tournament.
India’s bowling
India’s bowlers were disciplined throughout the Nepal innings. They didn’t give away any easy runs, and they picked up wickets at regular intervals.
Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi were the pick of the bowlers for India. They both picked up three wickets each, and they didn’t allow the Nepal batters to get away.
Key moments in the match
There were a few key moments in the match that swung the momentum in India’s favor.
- Yashasvi Jaiswal’s brilliant century was the turning point of the match. He gave India a solid platform to build on, and he helped them post a mammoth total on the board.
- Avesh Khan and Ravi Bishnoi’s early wickets in the Nepal chase put them on the back foot. Nepal were never able to recover from those early setbacks.
- Dipendra Singh Airee and Sundeep Jora’s quickfire partnership gave Nepal a glimmer of hope, but it was too late in the day. India eventually bowled them out for 179 runs to win the match by 23 runs.
Conclusion:
India will now face Pakistan in the semifinals of the Asian Games 2023 men’s cricket event on Thursday. It will be a mouth-watering clash between the two arch-rivals, and it will be interesting to see who comes out on top.
Additional Information:
Asian Games Cricket 2023 schedule
The Asian Games cricket 2023 schedule is as follows:
Quarterfinals:
- Tuesday, October 3: India vs Nepal
- Tuesday, October 3: Pakistan vs Hong Kong
- Wednesday, October 4: Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka
- Wednesday, October 4: Bangladesh vs Malaysia
Semifinals:
- Thursday, October 5: India vs Pakistan
- Friday, October 6: Winner of QF2 vs Winner of QF3
Final:
- Saturday, October 7: Winner of SF1 vs Winner of SF2