Australia score over Lanka in World Cup

Australia beat Sri Lanka by five wickets in their ICC World Cup match on Monday in Lucknow. Sent in to bowl, Australia dismissed Sri Lanka for 209 in 43.3 overs and then returned to overhaul the target in 35.2 overs, scoring 215 for five in a match that was briefly interrupted by rain. This was Australia’s first win of the ongoing tournament.
Opener Mitchell Marsh scored a 51-ball 52 but Australia lost two quick wickets to slip to 81 for three. Marnus Labuschagne (40) and Josh Inglis (58) added 77 runs to revive the chase. Glenn Maxewell (31) and Marcus Stoinis (20) then knocked off the remaining runs. For Sri Lanka, Dilshan Madushanka snapped three wickets. Earlier, openers Pathum Nissanka (61) and Kusal Perera (78) added 125 runs in 22 overs but Sri Lanka suffered a collapse, losing nine wickets for 53 runs. Leg-spinner Adam Zampa showed the way with four wickets, while there were two wickets apiece for Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc.
Afghanistan crush England
Defending England crashed to a shock 69-run defeat against Afghanistan in New Delhi on Sunday. Chasing a target of 285, England were bowled out for 215 in 40.3 overs, falling to Afghan spin magic, which saw Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman get three-wicket hauls. Meanwhile, Mohammad Nabi picked two wickets. Harry Brook was England's lone wolf in the run chase, but lost his wicket in the 35th over, with his side reeling at 169/8. Brook registered 66 off 61 balls.
Afghanistan piled a stiff 284 on the board after being invited by England to bat first. Afghanistan lost three quick wickets and were reduced to 122/3 in 18.5 overs.
India demolish Pakistan
India demolished Pakistan as the most eagerly awaited contest of the World Cup so far turned into a one-sided anti-climax in Ahmedabad on Saturday. Pakistan have never beaten India in a men's 50-over World Cup, but looked to be laying a platform to challenge the hosts when they reached 155-2 in the cauldron of the world's largest cricket stadium. What followed was an implosion. Captain Babar Azam was bowled by Mohammed Siraj for 50 to begin a collapse of eight wickets for 36 runs, Pakistan spiralling to 191 all out. Siraj was one of five India bowlers to pick up two wickets.
The target seemed so unlikely to trouble the powerful India batting line-up. Though Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli were both out for 16, home skipper Rohit Sharma batted magnificently for an 86 that put the result beyond doubt.
SA humble mighty Aussies
The Kangaroos continue to hop on a hot tin roof. After a six-wicket loss against India in their inaugural match of the World Cup in Chennai, the five-time champions lost again on Thursday, this time against South Africa at Lucknow’s Ekana Stadium by 134 runs. With their second humongous victory, the Proteas have jumped to the top of the table; Aussies, with an equal number of defeats, are ninth – just above minnows Afghanistan. This is the first time after 1992 that Australia have lost their first two matches in the World Cup. The fact that Australian fielders dropped five catches hardly helped their cause. After posting a handsome 311/7, thanks to the second successive century by Quinton de Kock (109) in this World Cup on a pitch that used to be a batters’ nightmare but behaved well. Then, South African bowlers ran riot and at one point of time Australia were reeling at 70 for 6.
Pak beat Lanka
In an exciting World Cup encounter that saw 689 runs being scored at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Sri Lanka and Pakistan matched their batting might century for century before the latter prevailed with 10 deliveries to spare. If Kusal Mendis (122) and Sadeera Samarawickrama (108) thought they gave the crowd their money’s worth by setting it up nicely at 344/9, they had not reckoned with the Pakistan duo of Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Rizwan, as Pakistan finished at 345 for four. Shafique (113) who replaced Fakhar Zaman, was unfazed by the fall of early wickets and went about his task methodically. The 23-year-old from Sialkot, who has played more Tests than ODIs, found an able ally in Mohammad Rizwan (134*). The duo kept Pakistan in the hunt with their 176–run partnership for the third wicket in 156 balls and went into overdrive once Shafique reached his first ODI century.