USA defeated Bangladesh in their first-ever T20I match against Najmul Hossain Shanto’s side in a three-match series at the Houston Cricket Stadium.
The T20 World Cup hosts USA won the toss and elected to bowl first, dismantling the top order of the Bangladesh batting order completely with only Soumya Sarkar crossing the 20-run mark off 13 deliveries.
Bangladesh’s middle order salvaged the innings with Towhid Hridoy 58 off 47 deliveries and star allrounder Mahmudullah chipping in with 31 crucial runs in 22 balls.
Harmeet Singh, the star of the day, bowled an exceptionally economical spell, conceding just 27 runs in his four overs. His precision and variation stifled the Bangladeshi batters, preventing them from accelerating the run rate. Despite a late surge from Mahmudullah, Bangladesh managed a modest total of 153 for 6 in their 20 overs.
Steven Taylor also bowled brilliantly as he picked up 2 crucial wickets and completely dismantled the top order with his opening spell of 2 for 9 runs in 3 overs.
The USA’s chase began cautiously, with early wickets putting pressure on the middle order. However, Steven Taylor played an anchor innings scoring 28 runs off 29 balls.
Corey Anderson and Harmeet Singh grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck with a crucial partnership. The turning point came when Harmeet Singh walked with 5 wickets down. His quickfire 33 runs off just 13 balls, including three towering sixes and two boundaries, turned the game in USA’s favor.
Harrmeet Singh’s all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award. Harmeet’s composed bowling and explosive batting not only led the USA to a historic win but also set the tone for the remainder of the series.
USA will begin their T20 World Cup campaign against neighbours Canada on June 2 while their match against Pakistan will be held at the Grand Prairie Stadium, Dallas on June 6.
