USA’s Super Over smash and grab

USA, playing at home, in a World Cup, came up with the goods again, and this time they took down Pakistan, a much more fancied cricket nation and in fine style too. They were cruising, at first, in a chase of 160. But then the tide turned. All of a sudden they needed five to win off the last ball and Nitish Kumar struck a boundary to trigger a Super Over. And this is how it unfolded

Amir to bowl the Super over. Jones and Harmeet will open. Remember: both teams have two wickets. There is a reversal in proceedings – USA, who chased, will bat first. If this ends in a tie, we’ll have another Super Over.

0.1 Amir to Aaron Jones, FOUR runs Amir starts with the wide one but Jones is able to reach it. It was slow and into the pitch, slashed wide of third for four. Big advantage for USA!

0.2 Amir to Aaron Jones, 2 runs Nails the on-pace yorker but Jones manages to skilfully drill the flick through midwicket. They scamper back for two as well

0.3 Amir to Aaron Jones, 1 run Pakistan, like they did at the death, go with the yorker plan. This is nailed. Pace-on again. Jones can’t do nothin with that. Jams it a foot or two in front but that allows a scampered single

0.4 Amir to Harmeet Singh, 2 wide Amir misses his line (and length) and concedes a wide plus bye. Could have been worse but Harmeet missed the flick on the low full toss going down leg. Rizwan can’t collect cleanly, they run one

0.4 Amir to Aaron Jones, 1 run Jones goes across to try and get inside the line. Gets a low full toss at the stumps, flicks it to deep square leg. Just a single

0.5 Amir to Harmeet Singh, 2 wide Amir misses, Harmeet misses. Everyone’s disappointed but this is in USA’s favour. Low full toss swung down leg, went past the attempted flick. Another bye stolen

0.5 Amir to Aaron Jones, 2 runs Into the pitch, wide too. Jones connects with the cut. Sweeper runs to the right, Amir yells as they return for the second on the throw (which was to the keeper’s end)

0.6 Amir to Aaron Jones, 3 wide 5head leave from Jones. Buzzers too, USA are doing this with unforced errors. Jones cleared the front leg but saw the fullish ball, going away with the angle, to be outside the tramline and let it pass. The batters ran as Rizwan lobbed it high up, too far for Amir to collect but no one backing up either. They steal two byes!

0.6 Amir to Aaron Jones, 1 run, OUT Amir looks for the yorker. It’s at the stumps and is clipped through square leg. Jones returns for the second, which is never on, and fails to make it. But he had to of course

Aaron Jones run out (Mohammad Rizwan) 11 (6b 1×4 0x6). USA finish 18 for 1

Amir looks for the yorker. It’s at the stumps and is clipped through square leg. Jones returns for the second, which is never on, and fails to make it. But he had to of course

USA have nailed that Super Over. Amir stuck to the brief but could not execute with margins ever so fine. Just the one four but they finish with 18.

****

USA started the campaign with a win over Canada, and a win today would not only boost their position in the table, but also script history. The fielders are all waiting on the park, with Pakistan seemingly yet to decide on who to send to bat. There is a long discussion between the USA players and the umpires – presumably because the Pakistan batters are taking too long to walk out to bat – before Iftikhar and Fakhar come out to chase down 19. Netravalkar to bowl his left-arm seam

0.1 Netravalkar to Iftikhar, no run Iftikhar gets across, and the bowler follows. Netravalkar goes fullish and angles it across, with the ball finishing wide of off. But Iftikhar was far too across as he attempted to loft, but missed. So wide not called

0.2 Netravalkar to Iftikhar, FOUR runs Thumped between long-on and deep midwicket! Netravalkar bowled on a length on middle and off, but Iftikhar waited before pulling hard in the gap for four

0.3 Netravalkar to Iftikhar, 1 wide This is a wide! This time Ifthikar doesn’t move much, and sees this yorker-length ball wide of off go past him. He leaves it alone, and it is given wide

0.3 Netravalkar to Iftikhar, OUT Wow, superb catch! Nitish, whose boundary took the game to the Super Over, takes a great catch! Placed at long-off, he took a few steps forward before going low and grabbing it barely above the ground. The final verdict will be given by the third umpire, though. He sees multiple replays, with the ball almost hinting to drop off his hands on impact. Now the TV umpire looks at it from a different angle. The ball is dipping and dying on to Nitish, who uses both his hands to try and catch that.

Iftikhar Ahmed c Kumar b Netravalkar 4 (3b 1×4 0x6)

Shadab in. Pakistan need 14 from 3 balls, as Shadab takes his time.

0.4 Netravalkar to Shadab, 1 wide And it is another wide. This is angled across, and lands on a yorker length wide of off. Shadab lets it go

0.4 Netravalkar to Shadab, 4 leg byes Ohh, lucky four for Pakistan! Shadab got across the stumps to try and sweep this, but the ball dribbled off his toes between the keeper and short third

0.5 Netravalkar to Shadab, 2 runs Ahh, well bowled! This is a nice yorker angling across towards middle and off, and Shadab is able to loft it only as far as between long-off and long-on. They pinch two

Pakistan need 7 off 1. A six means another Super Over!

0.6 Netravalkar to Shadab, 1 run USA win by five runs! The first upset of the 2024 T20 World Cup. The USA players make their presence feel by yelling their feelings out. Their dugout is up in celebration and ecstacy, even as the Pakistan dressing room is left wondering what would have been.