In a thrilling ICC Men’s T20 World Cup encounter, Indian team are facing the co-hosts USA in New York. After winning the toss and opting to bowl first, India’s bowlers, led by Arshdeep Singh, put on a stellar performance to restrict the USA to a modest total.

Arshdeep Singh’s Early Impact

Arshdeep Singh set the tone early by striking twice in his very first over. His brilliant deliveries dismissed Shayan Jahangir and Andries Gous cheaply, leaving the USA reeling at 3/2. This early blow significantly hampered the USA’s chances of building a competitive total.

See Also: Watch: Arshdeep Singh’s ‘No Appeal’ celebration following first-ball wicket against USA

Powerplay Struggles for USA

The USA’s batting struggles continued throughout the powerplay. With tight bowling and sharp fielding, India conceded just 18 runs off the first six overs. This disciplined effort kept the USA batsmen under constant pressure, making it difficult for them to rotate the strike or find boundaries.

Middle Overs: Building Pressure

In the middle overs, the USA attempted to stabilize their innings with Nitish Kumar leading the effort. Despite a brief partnership and some aggressive strokes, the Indian bowlers maintained control, ensuring the run rate remained low. By the end of the tenth over, the USA was tottering at 42/3.

Arshdeep’s Return and Further Strikes

Arshdeep Singh returned to the attack and picked up two more crucial wickets, finishing with exceptional figures of 4-0-9-4. His ability to consistently take wickets and apply pressure was instrumental in breaking the back of the USA’s batting lineup.

USA’s Batting Woes

Throughout their innings, the USA struggled to build any momentum. They kept losing wickets at regular intervals, especially in the death overs. This constant fall of wickets prevented them from setting a competitive total, and they eventually finished with a below-par score of 110/8.

Supporting Roles by Other Indian Bowlers

Hardik Pandya bowled a wicket-maiden in the 17th over, dismissing Corey Anderson for his second wicket. Mohammed Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah kept things tight, although they went wicketless. Axar Patel chipped in with a wicket, and Shivam Dube’s solitary over went for 11 runs.

Nitish Kumar’s Efforts

Nitish Kumar played a fighting knock, scoring a 23-ball 27. His aggressive play in the middle overs gave the USA some hope of reaching a respectable total. However, his dismissal, courtesy of a brilliant catch by Mohammed Siraj, dashed those hopes.

Corey Anderson provided brief resistance with some quick runs, including a slog-swept boundary off Axar Patel. However, his dismissal by Hardik Pandya halted any momentum the USA had managed to build.

Historic Bowling Figures

Arshdeep Singh’s figures of 4-0-9-4 are among the best for India in T20 World Cups. His performance places him alongside other Indian greats like R Ashwin and Harbhajan Singh, who have also delivered match-winning spells in previous tournaments.

Best bowling figures for India in T20 World Cups
4/9 – Arshdeep Singh vs USA, New York, 2024
4/11 – R Ashwin vs AUS, Mirpur, 2014
4/12 – Harbhajan Singh vs ENG, Colombo, 2012
4/13 – RP Singh vs SA, Durban, 2007
4/19 – Zaheer Khan vs IRE, Nottingham, 2009
4/21 – Pragyan Ojha vs BAN, Nottingham, 2009

Unique Player Milestone

Harmeet Singh and Saurabh Netravalkar made history by becoming the first-ever India U19 cricketers to play against India in an international match. Their presence added an interesting subplot to the game, showcasing the global nature of cricket.