More sports in brief
Published:Wednesday | October 14, 2015 | 7:19 PM
Dhoni shines for India
INDORE, India (AP):
Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni produced a courageous knock under pressure and Axar Patel came up with some timely strikes as India completed a gritty 22-run victory over South Africa in the second one-day international yesterday.
Dhoni gave a superb exhibition of batting in the company of lower-order batsmen, with his unbeaten 92 helping India to level the five-game series 1-1. Left-arm spinner Patel extracted enough turn from the pitch to grab 3-39 as India bowled out South Africa for 225 in 43.4 overs in reply to the hosts' 247-9.
Dhoni smashed four sixes and seven fours as India fought back after being reduced to 104-5 in the 24th over.
"It was not an easy game as a lot of people wait with open swords and want you to make mistakes," Dhoni said in reference to his below-par spell with the bat. "As a complete batting unit we didn't perform well, but we bounced back well."
Pakistan take
control
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP):
A double century by Shoaib Malik and his 248-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Asad Shafiq yesterday gave Pakistan the upper hand at the end of the second day of the first Test against England. Chasing a massive Pakistan first innings total of 523-8 declared, England's openers made an assured start and were 56 without loss at close of play. Captain Alastair Cook was unbeaten on 39, while his new opening partner Moeen Ali was on 15.
Pakistan's innings was built around Malik's 245 runs in his first Test match in more than five years, and an eighth Test century by Shafiq (107).
"Both Malik and me had planned to be patient and try not to lose our wickets. We knew we will get the runs if we stuck around," Shafiq said.
Malik's innings lasted more than 10 hours and he faced 420 balls for his 245. He came in at the fall of the first wicket with the score on 5 in the third over and he was seventh to go in the 150th over. Captain Misbah-ul Haq then declared the innings a couple of overs later when Zulfiqar Babar became the fourth victim of Ben Stokes, the most successful England bowler with 4-57.