India ran through a couple of rough patches against “mini India” before Surya Kumar and Shivam Dube helped it scrap through with a seven-wicket win in the T20 World Cup at Nassau County International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, June 12. It was India’s third consecutive win and first loss for the USA.
An unbeaten 72 -run fourth wicket partnership between Suryakumar (50 not out) and Shivam Dube (31 not out ) cliched the game with 10 balls to spare. At one stage, India was struggling at 39/3 at the end of 7.3 overs. Studded with two sixers and as many fourers, it was Surya Kumar’s first half century in the T20 World Cup that came from 49 balls that saw his team through.
It was a big heartbreak for the home team as it did try to match its much superior opponent in every department of the game.
Saurabh Netravalkar did what Arshdeep Singh did in his first over. Saurabh had a much bigger fish in his net when he trapped Indian star batsman Virat Kohli for a duck. After skipper Rohit Sharma had taken a single off the first ball, Saurabh had Virat Kohli caught behind by Andrias Gaus to make India 1/1, not a good start for the pre-tournament favorites. With the second ball of his second over, he sent back Indian skipper Rohit Sharma caught by Harmeet Singh for three to make India 10/2.
The form of Indian star openers must be worrying the team management as Kohli has not even entered double figures in three innings he played. Rohit had slightly better performance than him but least inspiring. After Saurabh dismissed both Kohli and Rohit Sharma, it brought together Rishabh and Surya Kumar together to pull India out of woods. Rishabh Pant (18), who survived a close run out call, went without any addition to his individual score of 18 to make India 39/3. He was clean bowled by Ali Khan, Rishabh and Surya had added 29 for the third wicket. On the halfway mark, India were 49 for three.
Indian batsmen struggled as they took the score to 60 for three in 13 overs with Surya Kumar on 23 and Shivam Dube on 13. It was after a considerable wait that Surya Kumar hit India’s third boundary on the last ball of the 14th over to make it 67 for three. Interestingly, when India reached 76 for three at the end of 15 overs, three of its batters – Rishabh (18), Surya Kumar (29) and Shivam Dube (23) had hit a boundary and a six each.
A hit to the maximum and a boundary of successive balls by Surya Kumar in the 17th over helped India cross the 100-mark.
Two wickets in the opening over, including a wicket on the first ball of the match, gave India a dream start against “Mini India” team. Arshdeep had opener Shayan Jahangir trapped leg before with his first ball and on the last ball of the over sent back Andries Gaus, caught by Hardik Pandya, for two to make it 3 for 2. It was at this stage that Steven Taylor and Aaron Jones were brought together to put up 22 runs for the third wicket before Hardik Pandya in his second over had Jones caught by Mohammad Siraj for 11. Earlier on Jones had hit Siraj for the first six of the US innings..
Opener Steven Taylor, who tried top held the US innings together was the fourth man to return to pavilion after scoring 24 with two hits to the maximum. Immediately after hitting his second six, he was clean bowled by Axar Patel to make the score 56 for five. He and Nitish Kumar had added 31 runs for the fourth wicket. Nitish who made 27 was the fifth man to go. His wicket was claimed by Arshdeep Singh, his third of the innings.
When Arshdeep got Harmeet Singh caught behind by Rishabh Pant, it was his fourth wicket and he ended his spell with flattering figures of four for nine, perhaps his best in T20 cricket. Hardik Pandya was other successful Indian bowler claiming two for 14 in 4 overs while Bumrah remained wicketless for 25 runs in 4 overs. Jasdeep Singh was the last US batsman who ran himself out on the last ball of the innings.
‘Mini India’ vs India
As many as eight players in the USA T20 World Cup squad are either born in India or have grown up there. Two of them – Saurabh Netravalkar and Harmeet Singh – have even represented India at the U19 World Cup. Batter Milind Kumar has played over 100 first-class and List-A games for Delhi and Sikkim. The others – left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige and captain Monank Patel, fast bowler Jasdeep Singh, and left-arm spinner Nisarg Patel- have played age-group or club-level cricket in India. Batsman Nitish Kumar, who comes from Punjab, also had his first lessons in cricket back home.
They have played a huge role in making the USA a side to reckon with. USA have already made heads turn at this T20 World Cup by beating Canada and Pakistan. They were sitting at the second spot in Group A and needed to win one of their remaining two group games to qualify for the Super 8 stage in the West Indies. Their opponent, India, was a different ballgame altogether. Not just because they are the strongest team in the group and one of the contenders to lift the trophy but also because many of the USA squad members once harbored the dream of representing India at this level.
And players like Nitish Kumar and Harmeet Singh proved their worth with the bat to help USA cross the three-figure mark in what otherwise is a low scoring T20 World Cup. US had set up a contestable 110-run target for India. And India had put in its best to achieve the target with only 10 balls to spare.
(Prabhjot Singh is a senior journalist who writes with equal aplomb on sports and politics. He can be reached at prabhjot416@gmail.com)