HOUSTON: Corey Anderson and Harmeet Singh powered United States of America (USA) to hand Bangladesh a shocking five-wicket loss in the first of the three-match T20I series at Prairie View Cricket Complex on Tuesday.
This marked the inaugural international match between the two nations, serving as a crucial opportunity for them to gear up for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, set to take place in the USA and West Indies from June 1.
The hosts invited Bangladesh to bat first and restricted them to 153/6, thanks to Steven Taylor’s brilliant spell, during which he claimed two wickets for nine runs.
Bangladesh at one point were 68-4 in 11.2 overs, however, Towhid Hridoy and Mahmudullah helped the team recover with a 67-run stand from 47 balls.
Hridoy top-scored with 58 off 47, featuring four boundaries and two sixes, while Mahmudullah scored 31 runs from 22 balls.
The USA team began their pursuit with a conservative approach, however, the bowlers from Bangladesh consistently applied pressure, causing the required run rate to rise. Consequently, the home team found themselves at 94-5 inside 15 overs.
With 60 required off 31, Anderson and Singh joined hands and snatched the game from the claws of Bangladesh.
Together they raised an unbeaten 62-run partnership from 28 balls and finished the game with three balls to spare.
Anderson scored 34 off 25 with two sixes, while Singh scored 33 from 13 balls, featuring three sixes and two fours.
“It’s a great feeling,” Singh said after the match.
“I was backing myself and the main aspect of the game was to stay in the game till the last. It came down to our best efforts in the last over and I think that was our plan,” he said.
“Definitely Corey [Anderson] brings a lot of experience. He himself played a lot of big tournaments, big games. He knows how to finish games and how to stay calm under pressure, finish till the last ball…we all look up to him,” he said.
The second T20I will be played at the same venue on May 23.
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