The United States of America (USA) pulled off a stunning upset in the T20 World Cup, defeating Pakistan by a narrow margin in the Super Over on June 6th at Grand Prairie Stadium in Dallas. Winning the toss and electing to bowl first, the USA bowlers put Pakistan under immediate pressure, restricting them to a meager total of 159 runs.
Pakistan’s batting woes began early, losing three wickets within the first five overs for just 26 runs. While Babar Azam, the Pakistani captain, managed a score of 44 runs, his slow start (9 runs off the first 23 balls) was heavily criticized. Mohammad Rizwan, another key batsman, also failed to capitalize, leaving the Pakistani batting lineup in disarray.
Despite a shaky start to their chase, the USA, led by skipper Monank Patel’s aggressive 50 runs off just 34 balls, looked well on track for victory. However, they lost momentum in the final overs, requiring a Super Over to decide the winner.
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Reflecting on the close encounter, Monank Patel expressed mixed emotions. “When I got out, we were still in the game and I thought we should have finished it,” he admitted, quoted by ESPNcricinfo. “But the way we kept our nerves and in the Super Over particularly, scoring 18 runs itself gave us a big upper hand to defend the target.”
Monank Patel’s strategy of winning the toss and bowling first proved successful. He explained, “The plan was to win the toss and bowl first. And we knew initially first half an hour it would help pace bowlers and the way we kept them quiet and took the crucial wickets in the powerplay, it helped really well.”
Babar Azam’s captaincy decisions came under scrutiny, particularly his choice of Mohammad Amir, who hadn’t played international cricket in four years, to bowl the crucial Super Over. Pakistan’s spinners were also criticized for failing to take wickets in the middle overs.
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In the post-match presentation, Babar Azam acknowledged the team’s shortcomings. “First 6 overs while batting we didn’t capitalize. Back-to-back wickets always put you on the back foot,” he stated. “We were not up to the mark in the first 6 overs with the ball. Our spinners also did not take wickets in the middle overs so these things cost us.”
While Pakistan lamented missed opportunities, the USA celebrated a historic victory. Their exceptional performance across all three departments – batting, bowling, and fielding – secured them a well-deserved win. The win not only throws Group A wide open but also serves as a testament to the growing strength of cricket in the United States.
