USA have pulled off the first big upset of the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup after beating Pakistan after a Super Over today in Texas.
Put into bat after losing the toss, Pakistan soon found themselves on the backfoot on 26-3, with the first of those three wickets falling to a superb diving catch at slip by Steven Taylor reminiscent of the famous Dwayne Leverock catch at the 2007 Men's ODI World Cup.
A 72 run partnership between Babar Azam and Shadab Khan got the visitors back into the game before Shadab Khan fell for 40 from 25 balls. Nosthush Kenjige then had Azam Khan out lbw from the very next delivery. Iftikhar Ahmed kept out the hat-trick delivery.
Babar Azam was the next man out having scored 44 from a relatively sedate 43 balls and Pakistan reached 159-7 from their 20 overs. Nosthush Kenjige was the pick of the home team bowlers with 3-30.
After 36 runs were scored in the first five overs, the second wicket pairing of Monank Patel and Andries Gous added 68 before the latter was out for 35. Patel fell from the first ball of the next over for 50, which brought former Canadian international Nitesh Kumar out to join Aaron Jones, the hero against Canada in the opening match.
With 21 needed from the last two overs, Mohammad Amir bowled a superb death over to only concede six runs. Three singles started the last over, bowled by Haris Rauf, before Jones clubbed one over midwicket for six. A single followed with Nitish Kumar hitting the last ball of regulation for a four to tie the scores.
Ties can't be allowed to stand in T20 cricket though and the game went to a Super Over. Mohammad Amir was chosen to bowl it, and promptly bowled one of the worst super overs ever seen at a major cricket match. A boundary came from the first balls, and while there were no further boundaries, Amir managed to bowl three wides, two of which saw USA score one extra run from, with the third conceding two extra after an overthrow. Eighteen runs in all came from the over.
Pakistan then took an age to come out to bat for their over, to the extent where an appeal for timed out would have been justified. But out they came to face Saurabh Netravalkar. A dot and a four started the over before a wide from the third delivery.
Iftikhar Ahmad then hit the next delivery high in the air towards long off with Nitish Kumar taking the ball just above the ground for an excellent catch. The third umpire was asked to rule on whether it was a fair catch, and the USA moved closer to a famous win.
A wide came from the next ball followed by four leg byes. Two from the penultimate ball meant that Pakistan needed seven from the last. A six would have sent it to another Super Over but they could only manage one and the USA had secured a famous upset, up there with the biggest of all associate member World Cup upsets.
Pakistan now head into their big match against India on Long Island on Sunday morning, whilst the co-hosts have a little longer to celebrate their win as their next match isn't until Wednesday morning, when they take on India at the same venue.