USA created history on Thursday as they registered their second straight victory over Bangladesh by 6 runs. With this win, USA clinched the 3-match series as they go up 2-0 with one more match to go. The victory is remarkable for the Americans as it is their first-ever international series win against a Test-playing nation and will be a major boost for the co-hosts of the upcoming T20 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh will have to reorient themselves if they are to put up a decent fight against the top cricketing nations.
Monank Patel and Aaron Jones’s partnership helped USA post a fighting total
Asked to Bat first, Steven Taylor and Monank Patel provided a solid start for the hosts, adding 44 runs for the opening wicket. However, after the powerplay, the leggie, Rishad Hossain, removed Taylor (31 off 28) and Andries Gous (0) in two consecutive balls, turning the flow of the game.
Aaron Jones paired up with USA skipper, and the duo forged 60 runs for the third wicket, with Jones falling prey to Fizz after scoring 34-ball 35 runs.
The heroes of the last match, Corey Anderson (11) and Harmeet Singh (0 off 2) failed to make an impact with the bat as USA lost a flurry of wickets at the cue end of the innings, with the skipper also failing to shift gears at the cue end of the innings and falling 8 runs short of his fifty. USA managed to post 144/6 in 20 overs.
Ali Khan shone with the ball at the cue end of the innings
Bangladesh started their chase on a lackluster note, losing Soumya Sarkar for a golden duck in the opening over, with Saurabh Netravalkar taking a good one-handed catch in his followthrough.
The visitors were in total control of the match, but Shanto (25) threw away his wicket in the form of a run-out, and Towhid Hridoy (25 off 21 ) joined the Bangladeshi skipper in a while, allowing USA to crawl back in the hunt. The onus lay on the veteran Bangladeshi player, Shakib Al Hasan, who looked in good touch, but Ali Khan dashed the hopes of the men in green and red, removing Shakib for 30 runs.
USA bowlers kept the lines and lengths tight at the cue end of the innings, and the visitors made a total mess of the chase, losing wickets at regular intervals. The equation was reduced to 12 runs off the final over, and Rishad Hossain kept the chase alive by smashing a boundary off the second ball, but Ali Khan used his experience and trapped Rishad in the third ball, with Bangladesh bundling out for 138 runs and falling 6 runs short of the target.
Ali Khan was awarded Player of the Match for his impressive figures of 3/25. Saurabh Netravalkar and Shadley van Schalkwyk extracted a couple of wickets each, while Jasdeep Singh and Corey Anderson contributed a solitary wicket to Bangladesh’s downfall.
USA leads the series 2-0 and has started their World Cup preparation on a high. Both sides will meet each other for one final time on May 25 for the last match of the series.