Courtesy: Dawn News/AFP

Sanju Samson struck 57 off 22 balls to lead India to a dominant seven-wicket, series-clinching win over Afghanistan in the second T20 International on Tuesday.

India chased down a victory target of 160 with 5.1 overs to spare to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series at New Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.

Abhishek Sharma, who hit 39 off 19 balls, and fellow opener Samson put on 88 runs in just 6.2 overs.

Abhishek started in trademark fashion as he raced out of the blocks.

Samson quickly took over as he struck four boundaries in one Azmatullah Omarzai over before hitting two sixes and two fours in a Mohammad Nabi over which leaked 27 runs.

“It’s the nature of the format, the nature of how India have been playing their cricket,” Samson said. “We are reigning T20 world champions.”

Rashid Khan cut short Abhishek’s knock a ball after being hit for a six by the swashbuckling left-hander, who made 82 in India’s opening win, also by seven wickets.

Samson reached his fifty in 20 balls but departed two balls later off Nabi, finishing with seven fours and four sixes.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer fell for just 11, but Ishan Kishan, who made 38 not out, and Tilak Varma (15 not out) guided the team home in an unbeaten stand of 40.

India’s bowlers earlier kept Afghanistan down to 159-8, with seam bowler Nitish Kumar Reddy returning figures of 3-24 from three overs.

Jasprit Bumrah started with a maiden, and fellow quick Arshdeep Singh reaped the rewards as he then sent back the dangerous Rahmanullah Gurbaz, caught behind for a duck.

Afghan skipper Ibrahim Zadran laboured to a 33-ball 37 in a 51-run partnership with Sediqullah Atal, who struggled to 12 off 15.

Zadran holed out off all-rounder Reddy to deep mid-wicket, before Ravi Bishnoi dismissed Atal and Gulbadin Naib fell to Reddy.

Afghanistan managed some lower-order resistance as the 41-year-old Nabi hit 20 and Rashid made a 16-ball 28.

Reddy dismissed Rashid in the final over with a slower ball as Afghanistan, who made 156-8 in the opening game, once again finished on a below-par total.

“We thought about the things on how to improve from 150-160; we should go with the right intent to score 200 and 200 plus, and we didn’t apply that,” said Zadran. “We will think about it and improve on it.”

The third match is on Thursday at the same venue.

1- Header image: Indian opener Sanju Samson plays a shot during the second T20 International against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on September 15, 2026. —AFP

Courtesy: Geo News/Reuters

Tongue takes four wickets, Archer and Robinson claim two each; Saud Shakeel makes 43 for Pakistan

Pakistan were bowled out for 133 in their first innings of the third Test against England at Edgbaston on Wednesday after yet another dramatic collapse during their tour of England.

After being asked to bat first, Pakistan suffered an early setback in the third over when Ollie Robinson struck, trapping returning opener Saim Ayub lbw for a 10-ball duck.

Jofra Archer then removed Pakistan’s other opener, Azan Awais, who was dismissed for nine off 20 deliveries, including two boundaries, leaving the hosts reeling at 14-2 after 5.5 overs.

The wickets continued to tumble as Robinson struck again to dismiss Abdullah Shafique for three off 16 balls. Archer followed in the very next over by removing former captain Shan Masood for five off seven deliveries, reducing Pakistan to 28-4.

Pakistan lost half their side in the 15th over when Josh Tongue bowled captain Babar Azam for seven off 18 balls. Babar managed just one boundary during his brief stay at the crease as Pakistan slumped to 48-5.

Debutant wicketkeeper-batter Ghazi Ghori opened his Test account with a boundary off Tongue. However, his innings was short-lived as the England pacer dismissed him for four off five deliveries to claim his second wicket of the innings.

Another debutant, Imran Randhawa, also endured a brief stay at the crease as Tongue claimed his third wicket by dismissing him, leaving Pakistan in deep trouble at 84-7 after 20.4 overs.

Razaullah scored 11 before being dismissed by Robinson shortly after lunch, leaving Pakistan at 101-8. Saud Shakeel continued to lead the resistance with a brisk 43 off 47 deliveries, but he too fell with the score on 107.

The last-wicket pair of Mohammad Abbas and Mohammad Ali added 26 runs before Archer dismissed Abbas to bowl Pakistan out for 133.

For England, Tongue starred with four wickets, while Archer and Robinson claimed three wickets apiece.

1- Header image: Pakistan’s Mohammad Imran gets bowled out by England’s Josh Tongue during third Test at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham, Britain on September 9, 2026. — Reuters

Courtesy: Dawn News/AFP

LEEDS: Joe Root said a new-look England pace quartet “don’t really understand how good they are” after helping him launch his second stint as full-time Test captain with an innings and 103-run rout of a lacklustre Pakistan at Headingley on Friday.

England’s first Test without the two architects of their ultra-aggressive Bazball approach in former skipper Ben Stokes, now retired from all international cricket, and Brendon McCullum — sacked as red-ball coach following the recent series loss at home to New Zealand — was all over inside three days.

From the moment Ollie Robinson took a wicket with the very first ball of the match, England were on top in an utterly lopsided clash.

Robinson and Josh Tongue bagged five wickets apiece as Pakistan were dismissed for just 171 in their first innings and the duo, who received good support from Jofra Archer and Gus Atkinson, took three more each second time around.

Sussex captain Robinson won player-of-the-match honours with 8-80 on his return to England duty.

Root’s first stint as skipper saw him lean heavily on James Anderson and Stuart Broad, England’s two most successful Test bowlers of all time.

But the vastly experienced Root was clearly excited by the potential of a pace quartet that had never played together for England before this match at his Yorkshire home ground.

“I don’t think they really understand how good they are, how well they complement each other and what they are capable of doing in these conditions,” Root said.

“Clearly we will have different challenges and surfaces to manage, but it’s a brilliant start to things.”

This was just England’s third win in 11 Tests, with interim coach Marcus Trescothick — himself an ex-England opening batsman — assisting Root before Stephen Fleming arrives to replace fellow former New Zealand captain McCullum as the team’s red-ball supremo.

Root, however, said Fleming had kept a close eye on proceedings in Leeds.

“We spoke every day,” said Root. “He’s kept tabs on things. It’s been great to have him on the end of the phone.”

PAKISTAN ‘MAKING A FUTURE’

Pakistan have little time to regroup before the second of this three-match series gets underway at Lord’s on Thursday, with the tourists now having won just one of their last 10 Tests overseas.

They were dismissed for a paltry 135 in their second innings, while an attack lacking the fast-bowling threat of many previous Pakistan teams proved largely powerless as England piled up 409 thanks to fifties from Harry Brook (91), Jordan Cox (73), Root (66) and Dan Lawrence (51).

Pakistan, however, arrived in England straight from a drawn series in the West Indies and only had one warm-up to get used to local conditions, although a lack of preparation time was no excuse for a particularly poor fielding display featuring dropped catches and some woeful attempts at preventing boundaries.

“We’re not playing well for sure when it comes to away series. We haven’t done well anywhere in the world and this is concerning,” Pakistan’s stand-in captain Salman Ali Agha said.

“It’s not like we came here a month ago. We came here a week ago. And I don’t think a week is enough to get used to these conditions.”

But a defiant Salman, asked if fans should be worried by Pakistan’s plight, replied: “It’s an inexperienced side but it’s not about worrying about the future — it’s about making a future.”

Nevertheless, Salman made it clear he would have no qualms should Pakistan captain Babar Azam — ruled out of the series opener after failing a fitness Test on a hand injury — return to lead the side at Lord’s.

“I’m more than happy to hand back the captaincy,” said Salman. “Hopefully he [Babar] is fine.”

1- Header image: England’s Joe Root looks to the sky as rain stops play on the second day of the second cricket Test match between England and New Zealand at The Oval in London on June 18, 2026. — AFP

Courtesy: Dawn News/AFP

An irrepressible Mitchell Starc bagged four wickets and 10 for the match as he ripped through the Bangladesh batting to ensure a commanding innings and 51-run second Test victory for Australia inside two days on Sunday.

The visitors headed into the Mackay showdown on a high after shocking the world’s top-ranked team by nine wickets in the first Test at Darwin.

But they were brought crashing back to earth by some scintillating fast bowling, led by Starc who finished with 10-51 for the match to level the two-game series.

After 18 wickets fell on a frenetic first day in Mackay, the hosts were all out for 210 in the morning session, securing a lead of 146 on the back of Cameron Green’s 67.

Star Bangladesh quick Shoriful Islam claimed 7-48 — the best figures from a Bangladeshi bowler in an away Test.

The visitors crashed for just 64 in their first innings, when Starc took 6-12, and he was the chief tormentor again, claiming 4-39 while Pat Cummins took 3-10 and Nathan Lyon 3-25.

Bangladesh had a horror start with Shadman Islam lasting just three balls, playing a nothing stroke to a moving Starc delivery and edging to Marnus Labuschagne at point.

Mominul Haque was equally clueless next ball, failing to offer a shot with Starc removing his off stump and setting up a hat-trick opportunity.

Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, who was out for a golden duck in the first innings, this time survived to deny Starc.

But their woes deepened when Tanzid Hasan departed soon after for nine.

Starc was again involved, taking a catch in the deep after Tanzid pulled Cummins.

Shanto did well to soak up the pressure after lunch for 46 deliveries, but he eventually lost focus against the off-spin of Nathan Lyon, holing out to the safe hands of Starc at long off on 31.

And when Starc was brought back into the attack, he was front and centre again, enticing a loose shot from Litton Das who was caught without scoring by Beau Webster at third slip.

Mehidy Hasan Miraz struggled to get going and departed to an equally poor shot, lashing at a Cummins bouncer and collected by wicketkeeper Alex Carey.

The Australian captain then removed Hasan Mahmud (two) before Starc took his 10th for the match — the fourth time he has achieved the feat — when he bowled Taijul Islam for seven.

Lyon quickly wrapped up the tail in the first over after tea.

Australia resumed at 165-8 with Green on 51 and Lyon on 10.

Green, who scored a century during the first Test in Darwin, kept the scoreboard moving early with quick singles.

But he was undone by an inswinging yorker from the impressive Shoriful that hit him on the toe with a review declaring him out lbw.

A valiant Lyon brought up the 200 for Australia with a towering six off Taskin and with Josh Hazlewood adding 24 crucial runs for the last wicket.

The innings ended when Hazlewood skied Taijul to Shadman on six to leave Lyon not out 32.

1- Header image: Australia’s Mitchell Starc (L) celebrates after taking his tenth wicket for the match of Bangladesh’s Taijul Islam (R) during the second day of the second cricket Test match between Australia and Bangladesh at the Great Barrier Reef Stadium in Mackay on August 23, 2026. — AFP

Courtesy: Geo News

Alpine Club says woman climber successfully reached the summit of Spantik in good health

• Asma Mushtaq dies during descent from 7,027-metre Spantik.
• Mountaineer suffers medical emergency at around 6,400 metres.
• Alpine Club Pakistan mourns mountaineer Asma Mushtaq’s death.

Mountaineer Asma Mushtaq died after suffering a serious high-altitude medical emergency while descending from the 7,027-metre-high Spantik mountain in the Karakorum Mountain range, the Alpine Club of Pakistan said.

In a statement, the club said Asma Mushtaq successfully reached the summit of Spantik in good health.

“Sadly, during her descent at approximately 6,400m, she suffered a serious high-altitude medical emergency. Despite the immediate and dedicated efforts of her mountain guides, who provided every possible assistance under extremely challenging conditions, she could not survive,” it added.

‎Following the accident, her mountain guide Akbar Ali, together with another mountain guide, immediately provided their best possible assistance and support, Karakoram Calling Treks said in a statement, adding that they made every possible effort to help her and keep her safe under extremely difficult high-altitude conditions.

“Despite the immediate and dedicated efforts of her mountain guides, who provided every possible assistance under extremely challenging conditions, she could not survive,” it added.

“The President and entire team of ACP extend their heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, friends and loved ones of Mrs Asma Mushtaq. We stand with the family and the entire mountaineering community during this difficult time,” said ACP Senior Vice President Karrar Haidri.

Mushtaq was originally from Lahore and worked in Britain as a doctor specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, according to her social media profiles.

Away from her medical career, she was a traveller, vlogger and mountaineer who documented her expeditions on social media.

1- Header image: ushtaq was originally from Lahore and worked in Britain as a doctor. — Facebook/Asmakhan033/file