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The Mitchell Marsh-led Australian side beat the West Indies by 11 runs to go 1-0 up in the three-match T20I series down under. After earlier drawing the Test series and registering a series whitewash in the ODI-leg of the tour, the six-time world champions restricted the visitors to 202, to win the first T20I by 11 runs. On the other hand, Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 42 runs in the first ODI.
Here in this article, we’ll look at all the big news that took place on Friday, February 9, but before that, let’s check the matches scheduled for the day.
Today’s match preview:
SA20 2024: Sunrisers Eastern Cape vs Durban Super Giants
The Aiden Markram-led Sunrisers Eastern Cape will take on Keshav Maharaj’s Durban Super Giants at the Newlands in Cape Town in the title glory on Saturday, 10 February. While the defending champions entered the final after beating the Super Giants in Qualifier 1 by 51 runs, the Keshav Maharaj-led side beat Joburg Super Kings by 69 runs to seal their final berth.
ILT20 2024: Gulf Giants vs Abu Dhabi Knight Riders
James Vince-led Gulf Giants are scheduled to face Sunil Narine’s Abu Dhabi Knight Riders in match 28 of the tournament at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai in first match of Saturday’s double-header at 4:00 p.m. IST. When these two sides met last on January 31, the Knight Riders beat the Giants by six wickets at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium. However, the match will see the fight for the second place in the table and eye to inch closer to the playoffs qualification.
ILT20 2024: MI Emirates vs Dubai Capitals
Kieron Pollard-led MI Emirates will take on David Warner’s Dubai Capitals in match 29 of ILT20 2024. The match is scheduled to be held at 8:00 p.m. IST at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Speaking of the points table, while the Emirates comfortably sit at the top of the table having earned their playoffs qualification, the Capitals are fourth with four wins from nine games so far in the tournament.
Major cricket events that happened on February 9
Australia go 1-0 up in a high-scoring match against West Indies in 1st T20I
Led on David Warner’s 36-ball 70 and Adam Zampa’s three-for 26, Australia beat the West Indies by 11 runs in a high-scoring encounter at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart. The hosts restricted the visitors for 202/8, who were chasing 214, to go 1-0 up in the three-match T20I series.
Despite Omarzai, Nabi fight, Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan in 1st ODI
Sri Lanka beat Afghanistan by 42 runs in the first ODI on Friday as Pathum Nissanka became the 10th batsman to smash a double century in ODIs. However, Mohammad Nabi and Azmatullah Omarzai played spectacular centurion knocks when Afghanistan were 5 wickets down at 55 runs in nine overs while chasing a mammoth target of 382 runs.
A terrible mistake: AB de Viliers apologises for spreading false news on Virat Kohli
Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has recently issued an apology for spreading false information around Virat Kohli in regard to the couple expecting their second child. Speaking on the sidelines of SA20 2024, ABD said, “Family comes first, its priority, as I said on my YouTube show. I also made a terrible mistake at the same time - Sharing false information, which was not true at all.”
Shreyas Iyer likely to miss last three Tests against England
Days ahead of the start of third Test against England, Shreyas Iyer has reported of his injury struggles, keeping him doubtful for remaining Tests. “Iyer has informed the Indian team management and medical staff that his back gets stiff after playing more than 30 balls and he feels pain in his groin,” a source was quoted by The Indian Express.
Nonsense: Ravindra Jadeja reacts after father's viral interview
After Ravindra Jadeja's father's comments claiming strain relations with his son and daughter-in-law went viral, the Indian all-rounder was quick to react, dismissing all of it. "All things mentioned in the Dainik Bhaskar interview is nonsense. It is completely meaningless and untrue. These are attempts to tarnish the image of my wife which are truly reprehensible," Jadeja wrote on X.
Dale Steyn hails Jasprit Bumrah for picking wickets on docile pitches
Dale Steyn, one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, has hailed the speedster Jasprit Bumrah for picking up a bag of wickets on docile Indian pitches. Calling him a “fantastic bowler,” the 40-year-old emphasised how a good yorker, a prominent weapon in Jasprit Bumrah’s arsenal, works in any country because the pitch is out of the equation.
Australia announce 14-man squad for New Zealand Test series
Cricket Australia on February 9 named a 14-member squad for the upcoming Test tour of New Zealand. While the side will be led by Pat Cummins, the team will also see the return of Michael Neser. However, Neser and Scott Boland have been picked as backups for the legendary pace trio consisting of Cummins, Hazlewood and Starc. The Pat Cummins-led side will commence their Test tour, starting February 29.
Michael Vaughan makes scathing remark on England cricket team
The former England captain Michael Vaughan made a scathing remark on the English cricket team, talking about how they will not win the ongoing five-match Test series against India. The reasoning behind the 49-year-old’s observation was the indifferent batting performance from England in the second Test, which saw them lose the contest by 106 runs in Visakhapatnam.
