ICC T20 World Cup: USA win Super Over against Pakistan
USA made another big leap in their cricket journey after stunning heavyweights Pakistan in Match 11 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas. Co-hosts USA restricted Pakistan to 159/7 in 20 overs. Babar Azam and Shadab Khan hit 40-plus scores. In response, the USA were in control before Pakistan fought. The match was tied. USA won the one-over Eliminator.
How did the match pan out?
Pakistan were reduced to 26/3 and they were on 30/3 after the first six overs. A crucial stand between Babar and Shadab helped Pakistan recover. The two added 72 runs. Cameos from Iftikhar Ahmed and Shaheen Afridi helped Pakistan. In reply, skipper Monank Patel and Andries Gous did well. Aaron Jones (36*) was superb. USA forced a Super Over, needing 15 runs to win.
What happened in the Super Over?
Mohammad Amir bowled the Super Over for Pakistan and conceded 18 runs. He conceded seven wides. Pakistan needed 19 runs to win. Iftikhar Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman walked out. The former was out off the third ball. Pakistan fell short to help USA.
Babar becomes top scorer in T20Is
Babar scored 44 from 43 balls. He hit three fours and two sixes. The recovery knock of Babar saw him get to 4,067 runs in T20Is at 41.08. Babar is now the top scorer in T20I history. He surpassed India's Virat Kohli (4,038). Playing his 14th T20 World Cup clash, Babar now owns 471 runs at 36.23.
3,000 T20 runs and 150 sixes for Shadab
Shadad played a crucial knock of 40 from 25 balls. He slammed three sixes and a four. The spin-bowling all-rounder owns 675 runs in T20Is at 18.75. As per ESPNcricinfo, Shadab surpassed 3,000 T20 runs (3,038) in his 286th match (195 innings). Notably, he has got past 150 T20 sixes (151). He averages 19.35 in T20s.
Key numbers for the USA bowlers
Kenjige's 3/30 took him to seven T20I wickets at 18 (ER: 7.41). Saurabh Netravalkar impressed with figures of 2/18 from his four overs. Playing his 29th T20I, he has 29 scalps at 20.79. Ali Khan (1/30) and Jasdeep Singh (1/37) were amongst the wickets.
Patel hits his 3rd T20I fifty, surpasses 500 runs
USA skipper Patel struck 50 runs from 38 balls. He hit seven fours and a six (SR: 131.58). He was involved in a 68-run stand for the second wicket alongside Gous. Playing his 27th T20I, Patel has completed 500 T20I runs (507) at 23.04. He slammed his third fifty. He became just the second USA batter to smash 500-plus runs before Jones joined him.
Jones plays a match-winning knock of 36*
Jones slammed an unbeaten 36 from 26 balls. He hit two fours and two sixes (SR: 138.46). Jones shared an unbeaten 48-run stand alongside Nitish Kumar (14*). Jones now has 514 runs 30.23. He is USA's second-highest scorer.
Four points in two matches for the USA
The USA deserve all the plaudits. They have two wins from two matches. The USA beat Canada by seven wickets in the opener. And now, they have upsurped Pakistan via a Super Over to gain two more points. The co-hosts have four points. Their NRR is +0.626. Pakistan have themselves to blame for a shabby performance. The Super Over was shambolic.
How did the Pakistan bowlers perform?
Pakistan pacers did a reasonable job to pull things back. Amir finished with 1/25 from his four overs. Naseem Shah did well and claimed 1/26 from his four overs. However, Haris Rauf (1/35) had a poor final over and that forced a tie.
