Before India clash, Pakistan get in the groove with comprehensive win over USA

AS IT HAPPENED | PAKISTAN VS USA T20 WORLD CUP 2026 HIGHLIGHTS

After their batting unit took them to 190, there was no way Pakistan’s bowling would throw away their hold in the game. Even though they left a few runs out there thanks to another sedate start by Babar Azam, the bowlers shone in patches, which was enough to get the job done.

Needing to score at above 9.5 runs an over for victory – which would have made it two wins out of two against Pakistan – the task always seemed beyond USA’s reach.

When Shayan Jahangir set the tone early, it appeared game on. However, the chase fizzled out once the spinners came on. In what seemed like a trial run of sorts before facing India at the Premadasa, a venue where spinners have been calling the shots, Pakistan had four tweakers in the XI. Joining the trio of Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan and Abrar Ahmed was Usman Tariq, a bowler with a unique action. That Saim Ayub opened the bowling alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi meant out of the 20 overs, 16 were delivered by spinners.

Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan was named Player of the Match for his cracking 73-run knock vs USA. (PHOTO: AP)

Come Sunday, if Usman plays, it would be interesting to see how Indian batsmen line up against him and whether they take the aerial route as much as they do normally. The eternal wait for the ball to be released isn’t a sight that India’s big bashers will prefer.

The Pakistani spinners were economical under lights at the Sinhalese Sports Club as they choked the USA in the middle overs before the choke-slam arrived later. The four shared seven wickets amongst them. With the exception of Jahangir, none of the USA batsmen were able to keep pace with the asking rate.

Openers come to the party

Earlier, Pakistan had to thank their two openers for getting them off the blocks quickly. In a squad that has two other openers – Fakhar Zaman and captain Salman Agha – and Babar Azam who has batted at the top before, the team management’s intentions have been clear with their decision to partner Sahibzada Farhan with Saim Ayub. The latter, who has shades of Saeed Anwar in him, has a simple gameplan. If it is in the arc, he invariably gives it his all and makes a good connection. If not, he would just keep it out. The batting nuances one got to see in Anwar are clearly lacking in Ayub, who has a history of blowing hot and cold. But, the reason they keep persisting with him is that in the time he has spent with the team, he has evolved into a reliable all-rounder.

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So even if he plays cameos at the top, it’s more often than not a win-win situation for Pakistan. There is a reason why among local players, he is the most expensive in the Pakistan Super League.

Sahibzada, the batsman whose 75 powered them to 190, is the slightly more refined of the two. His strength lies in his quick hands and feet. Like most T20 batsmen, he doesn’t prefer to use his feet to come down the track, but like his peers elsewhere, opts to use the depth of the crease a lot. That slight movement back, which is delayed till the last moment, allows him to get into positions where he is capable of getting underneath the ball. His five sixes stayed hit from the moment the ball made contact with the bat.

Having scored 35 off 16 in the Powerplay, he slowed down a bit thereafter. That innings from Farhan and Babar’s 46 meant Pakistan had a foundation which was only used by Shadab for his 30. The rest swung and missed but by then, Pakistan had given their attack enough runs to defend.