The Latest: Kohli 37, India 118-2 after 25 overs vs. Windies

By Associated Press 28 June 2019, 12:00AM

LONDON (AP) — The Latest on Day 29 of the Cricket World Cup (all times local):

12:25 p.m.

Unbeaten India has lost both openers and reached 118-2 halfway through its allotted 50 overs in the Cricket World Cup game against the West Indies at Old Trafford.

Skipper Virat Kohli is not out on 37 and Vijay Shankar is batting on 13.

Rohit Sharma (18) was first to go with the total at 29 after West Indies referred a not-out decision to the TV umpire when Kemar Roach appealed for caught behind.

Roach's delivery cut back off the seam and squeezed between bat and pad. The TV umpire decided there was enough evidence of contact with the bat on the ultra-edge technology to overturn the on-field decision.

KL Rahul (48) shared a 69-run partnership from 89 deliveries with Kohli before he was bowled by West Indies captain Jason Holder in the 21st over.

Holder bowled consecutive maiden overs to start his spell and didn't concede a run from his first 14 deliveries as he worked away on a good length and tested India's batsmen. His persistence earned the wicket of Rahul, who faced 61 balls and stroked seven boundaries.

Holder's team needs to win its last three matches to have any chance of reaching the semifinals, and has to reverse a trend at Old Trafford to achieve the first of those. The team batting first has won the first three games played at this year's World Cup, meaning Kohli's decision was virtually pre-determined when he won the toss.

Old Trafford again was again crowded predominantly with India fans wearing the blue shirts of their national team.

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10:20 a.m.

India skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and elected to bat first in the Cricket World Cup game against West Indies, hoping to continue a theme at Old Trafford.

The team that has batted first in Manchester in the previous three World Cup games has successfully defended its total. West Indies had a narrow five-run loss to New Zealand here last Saturday and must win its last three group games to have any chance of making the semifinals.

West Indies made two changes to the lineup that lost that side, with injured opening batsman Evin Lewis replaced by Sunil Ambris and offspinner Ashley Nurse replaced by Fabian Allen.

Unbeaten India made no changes to the XI that had a surprisingly close win over Afghanistan on the weekend, with paceman Mohammed Shami retaining his place after taking a hat-trick in the last over against the Afghans.

Lineups:

India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Vijay Shankar, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.

West Indies: Chris Gayle, Sunil Ambris, Shai Hope, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Jason Holder, Carlos Brathwaite, Fabian Allen, Kemar Roach, Sheldon Cottrell, Oshane Thomas.

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9 a.m.

Jason Holder and his West Indies lineup need to beat two-time champions India at Old Trafford on Thursday to keep alive a slim chance of reaching the Cricket World Cup semifinals.

Unbeaten India is coming off an 11-run win over Afghanistan and is unlikely to be caught off guard again after that surprisingly narrow result, and after recent losses for England and New Zealand which have changed the momentum of the tournament.

West Indies has lost its last four completed matches at the tournament, its longest streak ever at the World Cup. The last of those defeats was at Old Trafford, where the team batting first has won the last three times.

After a five-run loss to New Zealand last Saturday, when Carlos Brathwaite was caught on the boundary attempting to hit a six for victory, West Indies needs to rebound with wins in its last three games to maintain its chances of finishing in the top four and securing a spot in the playoffs.

After a couple of cloudy days in Manchester, the forecast is for a clear, sunny day.

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More AP cricket: www.apnews.com/cricket and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

By Associated Press 28 June 2019, 12:00AM

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