Mohammad Amir conceded 18 runs in the super over against USA, seven of which were wides as Pakistan succumbed to a shock defeat in Dallas, Texas today (June 6).
USA stun Pakistan to take it to the super over
Chasing 160 for victory after restricting Pakistan to 159, USA were in cruise control for a major part of their innings. At the end of 13 overs, their score read 104-1, as they needed only 56 runs in seven overs. Captain Monank Patel then got out two overs after reaching fifty, as Pakistan started tightening the screws. USA needed 15 off the final over, which was bowled by Haris Rauf.
After the first three balls fetched only three runs, the game looked almost beyond USA's reach when Aaron Jones hit a six and Nitish Kumar followed it up with a last ball four to level the scores and take the game to the super over.
Mohammad Amir conceded seven wides in the super over
Amir, the pick of the Pakistan bowlers in the game, having registered figures of 1-25 from four overs, was given the responsibility to bowl the super over.
He conceded a four off the first ball as Jones cut a short ball behind point. While that was the only boundary Amir conceded in the over, USA still managed to amass 18 runs.
Amir conceded a double and a single off the next two balls as USA's score read 7-0 with three balls to go. The next was a wide down the leg side of the left-handed Harmeet Singh. Mohammad Rizwan dived full stretch to his right to prevent the ball from going for a boundary, but he couldn't stop the USA batters from running a bye.
After a single off the next ball, Amir repeated the same act, bowling one way down the leg side allowing the USA batters to rotate strike. Jones then got two off the next ball as USA's score read 14-0 with one ball left.
However, the next ball was another wide, this time outside off. While the call could be debated, Jones and Harmeet were smart enough to take the opportunity to run through. Rizwan lobbed the ball back to Amir, but lobbed it too high for the bowler to field it in his follow through. By the time the fielders straight down the ground backed up, the USA batters had run a second run, making it three off the delivery.
A single off the last ball meant USA finished on 18, out of which seven were registered as wides.
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USA close of historic vitory in the super over
Saurabh Netravalkar was given the task of defending 19 in the super over. The Pakistan batters took a while to come out for the super over, which made the USA fielders complain to the umpires.
It didn't matter in the end, as Netravalkar held his nerve to concede only 13 and win the game for his team by five runs.
Last month, USA had defeated Bangladesh in a T20I series, their first victory against a Full Member nation. With this result, they showed that it was no fluke.
With two victories from two games at the T20 World Cup, USA now have a realistic chance of making the Super Eights.
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