USA vs India Match 3 Full Commentary

Welcome back for the USA's reply. The two umpires and players have made their way out to the centre. Saiteja Mukkamalla and Andries Gous are the two USA openers. Arshdeep Singh will start with the new ball for India. Gous to face the first ball. A slip in place. Here we go!

... THE RUN CHASE ...

Looking ahead - India will take a bit of momentum into the break after scoring 67 runs in the final five overs. While their shot selection could have been better and they could have given themselves more time out in the middle, this hasn’t been a surface where batters can simply hit through the line. The slower balls held in the pitch, and that is something the USA batters will need to navigate carefully in the chase. 162 is the lowest T20I total successfully defended at this venue. It all makes for a captivating chase ahead.

Suryakumar stands tall - Suryakumar Yadav did get support from Rinku Singh and Axar Patel, but not for long enough. Left to bat with the tail, the skipper came through for India with an unbeaten 49-ball 84. The USA were slightly handicapped at the death. Ali Khan went off the field after injuring himself while fielding, which meant Monank Patel could not turn to him for his remaining two overs. Meanwhile, Saurabh Netravalkar, the leader of their pace attack, conceded 65 runs in his four overs.

USA impress despite the big occasion - Playing at the Wankhede would have been a dream for so many of their players, but the USA were not overawed by the situation at all. Whether with the ball or in the field, they were right on the money from the get-go. India came out swinging as they so often do and lost three wickets inside the powerplay, with Shadley van Schalkwyk doing the damage for the USA through his cutters. India refused to rein in their attacking intent and kept playing their shots. As many as five batters were caught on the fence among their top eight.

India recover after early wobble - An eventful first innings comes to an end. Suryakumar Yadav has come to India’s rescue. They finish on 161. The USA would gladly have taken this total at the start of the game if you had asked them, but after having India reeling at 77/6, they will feel that they let the hosts off the hook.

Varun Chakaravarthy walks out to bat, but for now, it will be Suryakumar Yadav on strike. Time for the final over. Saurabh Netravalkar to bowl. It has been a rare, expensive outing for Netravalkar. Gone for 44 runs in his 3 overs so far.

It is effectively a free hit for Arshdeep Singh as Suryakumar Yadav will want to be on strike for the final over.

Not good signs for the USA as Shubham Ranjane is helped off the field by the physio. Monank Patel turns to Shadley van Schalkwyk. 3-0-13-3 so far for Shadley.

Another man down? Shubham Ranjane is experiencing some discomfort. The physio is out for a check. Looks like a right knee issue. He gingerly walks over to his mark. Ranjane is going to give it a go.

That's a wrap - We already had a couple of games where the associate nations gave big names a scare. But this is just the start, as we will be back with another triple dose on the second day. Sunday, 8th February sees Afghanistan go up against New Zealand in Chennai, which will be followed by England taking on Nepal in Mumbai, and the day will end in Colombo as Sri Lanka meet Ireland. The action will begin at 5.30 am GMT for an action-packed Sunday. But do make sure you join us in advance for all the pre-match buzz and build-up. Until then, goodbye, stay safe. Cheers!

A very entertaining day of cricket - Unarguably, it was a gripping opening day at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, one when the so-called underdogs refused to concede. The Netherlands pushed Pakistan all the way in the curtain raiser before falling short at the final hurdle. Scotland dragged West Indies into deep waters but were denied the win in the end. And to cap it off, the USA pushed India to their limits, only for the Men in Blue to somehow emerge successful.

The victorious captain of India - Suryakumar Yadav walks again for a quick chat. He says only he truly knows how much pressure the side was under at 77 for 6. Drawing on his experience, he points out that he has played a lot of cricket here, and while the conditions were a little different from what they usually are at the Wankhede, that experience helped him adapt. Mentions that when they woke up, there wasn’t much sunlight. He adds that the curator did their best, but they may not have had enough sunlight for the pitch to be properly rolled and watered. While he stresses that they are not looking for excuses, he admits that everything cannot be brushed under the carpet and that the batting unit needs to do better. SKY reflects that even in victory, there are lessons to be learned, pointing out that they could have batted smarter and built one or two more partnerships to get to 160 more comfortably. He also informs that Jasprit Bumrah missed out due to fever, Abhishek Sharma was also under the weather, and that Washington Sundar will be joining the squad in Delhi.

The captain of USA - Monank Patel feels his bowlers did a commendable job, particularly in the way they assessed the conditions and the pitch to give the side early momentum. He admits that a few dropped catches at crucial moments proved costly and ultimately swung the game in India’s favour. Patel believes 160 was a competitive total on that surface and says the team would gladly take such a score on similar pitches. He admits that the top three failed to deliver and that the intent was lacking up front, but adds that the match offered plenty of learning and positives. According to him, handling the pressure of a big crowd and facing India was a valuable experience, one that would hold the team in good stead. He is confident the USA would take those lessons forward and come back stronger in their remaining games.

... The Presentation Ceremony ...

A resilient partnership, but not enough in the end - Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi formed a fighting alliance through the middle overs and added 58 runs together, but they weren't offered many freebies and were forced to manufacture fours and sixes. But the two did extremely well to keep the USA afloat in the chase. However, once that partnership was broken, another such alliance never really materialised for the USA in the remainder of the chase. Shubham Ranjane played a fine unbeaten knock of 37, but it all came in a losing cause. Bowling-wise, barring Hardik Pandya, each and every bowler picked up at least one wicket, with Mohammed Siraj, the man called in the eleventh hour, finishing with a three-for.

A scratchy start in pursuit - After a stupendous bowling effort and restricting India to a middling score, the USA got off to a worse possible start. They lost the top three, including the skipper Monank Patel and were reduced to 13/3 with Arshdeep and Siraj putting them on a tight leash. There was not much dew around, and the ball was holding on the surface well with some lateral movement as well. Crawling their way, they were choked with just 31/3 in the Powerplay, versus India's 46/4 at the same stage. The USA were pushed for a massive reconstruction job.

USA punched above their weight - This was easily one of the most improved bowling performances put together by the USA. They have come a long way over the last two years since the previous T20 World Cup. Shadley van Schalkwyk led the attack superbly with a brilliant four-wicket haul, and the rest backed him up well, barring Saurabh Netravalkar, who endured a rare off day. Monank Patel, too, was spot on with his plans and execution throughout and was supported well by his fielders too. The USA will rue a missed chance when Suryakumar Yadav was dropped on 15. Shubham Ranjane put him down on his follow-through, and one can only wonder how different things might have been had that opportunity been taken.

Short of runs, not out of form - Said SKY in one of the post-match interviews when he was going through a lean patch. But this knock of his has a bit of similarity with the past. 12th June 2024. T20 World Cup stage. Same opponent, same pressure. India were chasing a modest 111 against the USA back then, but nothing came easy. At 39/3, the chase had started to wobble before Suryakumar Yadav soaked up the tension, stitched it together, and guided India home with a calm, resilient half-century.  Fast forward to this evening and the stakes were far heavier. India were 77/6, setting the target with the big hitters already gone. From one end, SKY watched the procession, but at the other, he stood firm. What followed was a knock of control and courage. An unbeaten 84 off 49, built on grit. Scoops, sweeps, ramps, wrists rolling. He hit the ground a few times, yet stayed upright mentally. Rinku Singh and Axar Patel offered brief support, but this was SKY’s night. Less about flair, more about responsibility, and one of the finest innings of his career.

PLAYER OF THE MATCH - Suryakumar Yadav gets the award for his match-winning knock of an unbeaten 84 off 49. Yadav says he always knew a day like this would come. He reflects on how, over the last year, he tried to hold the innings together whenever possible, but it did not come off for him. Shares that he stepped away from the game after the final series of the previous year against South Africa and spent a lot of time with his family to reset mentally for the new year. SKY believes it never felt like a 180 or 190 wicket, but more like a 140 kind of surface. Says he always felt there was a need for one batter to bat right through till the end. He adds that Gautam Gambhir also told him the same during the break after 14 overs, reassuring him that he could always make up the runs later and just needed to be there till the end.

Dared, but stood tall - The USA pushed India hard, but the defending champions still kicked off their title defence with a victory. Not the most convincing win for the Men in Blue, but the bowlers did just well enough to drag them through, coupled with a captain’s knock that rescued the night for India. Despite the loss, there are plenty of positives for the USA in the way they executed their plans with the ball and put their bodies behind the ball in the field.

Mohammed Siraj (3-0-18-2) to close out the game.

Who will bowl the 19th? It will be Hardik Pandya. 3-0-24-0 so far. USA need 51 from 12 balls.

USA's star with the ball, Shadley van Schalkwyk, is in at number 9.