In a thrilling match at Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas, the United States edged out Pakistan in a dramatic finish that saw the game end in a tie, with the USA claiming victory in the super over during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Group A clash.

Pakistan, batting first, posted 159/7 in their 20 overs. Babar Azam scored 44 off 43 balls, while Shadab Khan contributed a brisk 40 off 25 deliveries. The USA’s disciplined bowling, led by Nosthush Kenjige with three wickets for 30 runs and Saurabh Netravalkar with two for 18, restricted Pakistan’s progress. Early breakthroughs had Pakistan at 14/2, but a middle-order revival and late hitting from Shaheen Shah Afridi, who remained unbeaten on 23 off 16 balls, helped them reach a competitive total.

In response, the USA’s innings mirrored Pakistan’s, finishing at 159/3. Monank Patel played a crucial innings, scoring 50 off 38 balls. Andries Gous added 35 off 26, and Aaron Jones anchored the chase with an unbeaten 36 off 26. Solid partnerships and consistent scoring kept the USA in the game, despite losing Patel at a critical moment.

With the scores tied, the match proceeded to a super over, where the USA emerged victorious, clinching the contest by five runs in a dramatic finish.

First 6 overs while batting we didn’t capitalise: Babar Azam

After the match, Babar Azam acknowledged that Pakistan failed to capitalize in the first six overs while batting, losing crucial wickets early on, which hindered their progress. He emphasized the need for building partnerships and noted that their bowling, especially in the powerplay and the middle overs, was not up to the mark, with spinners failing to take wickets. Babar praised the USA for playing better in all departments. He also mentioned that the pitch had some moisture and was two-paced, highlighting the importance of assessing conditions accurately as professionals.

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“First 6 overs while batting we didn’t capitalise. Back-to-back wickets always put you on the back foot, as a batter you need to step up and build partnerships. 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. Very hard, all credit to USA, they played better than us in all three departments. Little bit of moisture in the pitch, it was also two-paced. As a professional you need to assess the conditions,” he said.

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