NEW DELHI:
Bangladesh
managed to salvage some pride by defeating the USA by 10 wickets in the final match of the three-game series on Saturday in Houston.
Mustafizur Rahman
's exceptional bowling performance, taking six wickets, restricted the Americans to a mere 104-9 in their 20 overs. The visitors chased down the target in just 11.4 overs without losing a wicket.
Despite the loss, the United States claimed the series 2-1, having surprised their higher-ranked opponents by winning the first two games.
This series victory serves as a significant boost to their confidence as they prepare to co-host the upcoming
T20 World Cup
with the West Indies.
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The American innings started well with
Shayan Jahangir
and
Andries Gous
putting on 46 runs before Gous, who had scored 27 off 15 balls with four fours and a six, was caught by
Soumya Sarkar
off
Shakib Al Hasan
's bowling. Jahingir, who contributed 18 runs, followed soon after, caught by Tanzim Hasan Sakib while attempting to pull a delivery from Mustafizur. The hosts struggled to maintain their momentum, scoring only 14 runs while losing three more wickets. Mustafizur, bowling his second spell at the death, finished with his career-best T20I figures of 6-10.
Bangladesh's chase was comfortable, with
Tanzid Hasan
scoring 58 off 42 balls and Soumya contributing 43 off 28 deliveries. The American bowlers failed to exert any significant pressure on the Bangladeshi batsmen.
Bangladesh captain
Najmul Hossain Shanto
expressed satisfaction with his team's response to the two previous losses, stating, "I think the boys showed a lot of character today. I think the plan we made before this match, everyone executed."
He acknowledged the disappointment of losing the series but emphasized the importance of finishing on a positive note and gaining valuable experience ahead of the World Cup.
USA vice-captain Aaron Jones attributed the loss to poor shot selection by the American batsmen. The USA will play two warm-up games against Bangladesh and Nepal in Grand Prairie, Dallas, before facing Canada in the opening game of the T20 World Cup on Saturday. Jones stressed the significance of these matches in finalizing the team's combination for the tournament.
(Inputs from AFP)
English (US) ·