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Babar Azam’s Pakistan stunned as USA’s Netravalkar, Jones pull off unbelievable Super Over win in T20 World Cup
![Babar Azam’s Pakistan stunned as USA’s Netravalkar, Jones pull off unbelievable Super Over win in T20 World Cup Babar Azam’s Pakistan stunned as USA’s Netravalkar, Jones pull off unbelievable Super Over win in T20 World Cup](https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-img/img/2024/06/06/1600x900/T20-Cricket-WCup-USA-Pakistan-29_1717706584681_1717706610056.jpg)
It was an upset for the ages as hosts USA stunned the cricketing world, defeating previous edition’s finalists Pakistan in a thrilling T20 World Cup group stage match on Thursday. After the United States produced a brilliant batting effort to level Pakistan’s 159-run score in Dallas, Mohammad Amir’s wayward bowling in the Super Over – during which he conceded three wides – helped the US reach a strong 18/1 in six deliveries. In reply, Pakistan could only score 13 while also losing a wicket.
Amir had bowled a strong 19th over in USA’s run-chase, conceding only 6 in a high-pressure situation. However, he couldn’t replicate the heroics in the Super Over. After conceding a four off the first ball, Amir gave away three of the next two deliveries before bowling the first wide of the Super Over. To add to his worries, Harmeet Singh – the batter – also ran a quick single.
With another single taking the side’s score to 10/0 in four balls, Amir bowled another wide with Harmeet – again – picking another run. The fifth delivery fetched a double before the Pakistan pacer attempted a slower delivery to a poor result; in a schoolboy error, he went wayward with his length and bowled wide outside the off-stump, with the batters running two.
On the final ball, the US batters ran one before Harmeet was run out, with the side finishing at 18/1 in the Super Over.
With a task cut out for the USA, Saurabh Netravalkar, an Oracle techie when he’s not playing cricket, was given the job of defending the strong score in six balls. He bowled outside the off-stump and beat Iftikhar Ahmed on the first ball, much to the Pakistan batter’s anger at the delivery not being called a wide.
Iftikhar did smash a four before Netravalkar, too, went wayward with his length, bowling wide outside off. The third delivery, however, resulted in Iftikhar’s wicket, with Milind Kumar taking a brilliant forward-diving catch on long-off.
With the task becoming trickier for Pakistan, they required 13 off 3 deliveries. Shadab Khan joined Fakhar Zaman at the crease, and Netrawalkar handed another free run in the form of a wide. The bowler came back strong, beating Shadab’s bat with a perfect yorker outside off, but his shuffle across the crease helped Shadab deflect the delivery through his pad, beating the wicketkeeper for a much-needed four.
It didn’t do much to force a change of plan for Netravalkar, as he stuck with his length and conceded two off the fifth ball, making a win impossible for Pakistan with the side requiring 7 runs off the final ball. In the end, Shadab could only pick a single, with USA achieving a phenomenal win in Dallas.
Watch USA’s historic winning moment here:
Pakistan face India next
After being stunned by the tournament newcomers, Pakistan face their toughest challenge in the group as they take on arch-rivals India in Sunday’s blockbuster encounter in New York. The Rohit Sharma-led Indian team registered a fairly straightforward 8-wicket win in its first match against Ireland at the same venue earlier this week.