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The USA VS Pakistan: T20 World Cup 2024
America’s efforts to make a name in cricket were greatly boosted. Thanks to the excellent performance of Saurabh Netravalkar, who learned cricket in Mumbai, the USA achieved their first major win in this year’s T20 World Cup. They beat former champions Pakistan in an exciting ‘Super Over’.
The USA has won their second match in this tournament, securing another victory. As a result of this win, they have become the top-ranked team in Group A. Conversely, Pakistan had a challenging beginning to the World Cup with a defeat.
Big Boost For USA Cricket:
This big win not only made America more known in cricket but also showed how much talent there is in the country. Saurabh Netravalkar’s journey from Mumbai to leading the USA team to victory shows how cricket brings people from different places together.
This win is a big deal for the USA team. It not only makes people notice them but also motivates many young cricketers in the country. It’s a big step forward for cricket in America, showing that they can compete with the best teams in the world.
This Is Not A First Time For Pakistan:
On one side, you had Pakistan, the team with a strong cricketing legacy, and on the other side was the American team, stepping onto the global cricket stage for the very first time. Naturally, everyone anticipated Pakistan to breeze through this match, using it as a warm-up for their much-anticipated clashes against India.
However, the American players had different plans. They stunned everyone with their remarkable batting, bowling, and fielding skills, completely outshining Pakistan in every aspect of the game. This win was truly historic, especially considering Pakistan’s past encounters with supposedly weaker teams in World Cup tournaments.
Remember, Pakistan had faced defeats against Ireland in the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup and Zimbabwe in the 2022 T20 World Cup.
The Dominance Of The USA’s Bowlers:
In the match held in Dallas, USA, the Americans invited Pakistan to bat first after winning the toss. The American bowlers put up a splendid show, particularly Noshtush Kenjige, who snagged 3 wickets for 30 runs, and the lightning-fast bowler Netravalkar, securing 2 wickets for just 18 runs.
Their stellar performance limited Pakistan to 159 runs, losing 7 wickets in the allotted 20 overs. Despite commendable efforts from Babar Azam, scoring 43 runs off 44 balls, Shadab Khan with 25 runs off 40 balls, and Shaheen Afridi contributing 23 runs off 16 balls, Pakistan couldn’t overcome the formidable American bowling attack.
Scenes from USA's stunning victory in Dallas 😍🇺🇸#T20WorldCup #USAvPAK pic.twitter.com/bTipZM8env
— ICC (@ICC) June 6, 2024
Sensible Batting By USA:
In response, the Americans also scored 159 runs for the loss of 3 wickets in 20 overs. Monank Patel (50 runs off 38 balls), Aaron Jones (36 runs off 26 balls), and Andreus Ghaus (35 runs off 26 balls) performed well with the bat for the American team. However, they couldn’t maintain the required run rate in the final overs.
As a result, the Americans needed 15 runs in the last over to win. Harris Rauf, the bowler for Pakistan, conceded only three runs in the first three balls of the over. However, Jones hit a six in the fourth ball, and in the final ball of the over, Nitish Kumar hit a boundary, pushing the game into a “Super Over” for USA.
The Thrilling “Super Over”: USA VS Pakistan
In the Super Over, USA’s Aaron Jones and Harmeet Singh scored a total of 18 runs. Pakistan’s experienced bowler, Mohammad Amir, bowled a total of 9 balls during the Super Over.
In the dramatic showdown of the Super Over, Pakistan’s Iftikhar Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman took the crease, ready to chase down the target. However, it was USA’s Saurabh Netravalkar who emerged as the hero, entrusted with the crucial task of bowling the Super Over.
With nerves of steel, Saurabh kicked off with a dot ball on the first delivery, setting the stage for an intense battle. Pakistan responded fiercely, smashing a boundary on the second ball, putting pressure on the American bowler. Saurabh followed it up with a wide. On the third ball, Saurabh made a comeback, and Iftikhar Ahmed was caught by Nitish Kumar. Nitish took an exceptional catch. After Iftikhar’s dismissal, Shadab Khan came to the field.
Now, Pakistan needed 14 runs off 3 balls to win. Saurabh bowled another wide ball. Consequently, Pakistan needed 13 runs off 3 balls. On the fourth ball, Pakistan hit a boundary. The umpire signaled LB+4, resulting in Pakistan requiring 9 runs off 2 balls. On the fifth ball, Saurabh gave away only 2 runs.
As a result, Pakistan needed 7 runs off the last ball for victory. But Saurabh bowled the final ball smartly and conceded only 1 run.
The USA incredibly won the Super Over, securing victory with just 5 runs. Saurabh brilliantly defended the target by conceding only 13 runs and taking 1 wicket in the Super Over.
Co-hosts USA go top of Group A after their incredible win against Pakistan in Dallas 📈
— ICC (@ICC) June 7, 2024
How it happened ➡️ https://t.co/nde8AfC8EX pic.twitter.com/40vkmfRQMM
Brief Scorecard: USA VS PAKISTAN
Pakistan: 159 for 7 in 20 overs (Babar Azam 44, Shadab Khan 40, Shaheen Shah Afridi 23*; Noshtush Kenjige 3/30, Saurabh Netravalkar 2/18)
USA in reply: 159 for 3 in 20 overs (Monank Patel 50, Aaron Jones 36*, Andries Gous 35; Mohammad Amir 1/25, Nasim Shah 1/26, Harris Rauf 1/37)
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