MATCH STORIES
Follow UsDreams.
That was what the newly minted United States of America (USA) sold when the 13 American colonies united together on that fateful day in 1776 and declared their independence.
248 years later, it’s that same American dream that probably united 11 cricketers from around the world who pulled off the greatest cricket win in American history.
Bowling first, USA were bang on the money from the word go. Saurabh Netravalkar played in the 2010 U-19 World Cup Quarter Final for India, where Pakistan defeated his side. This time, playing for the US, he was the one to make the first attack on the Men in Green when he squared up Mohammad Rizwan and Steven Taylor took a spectacular catch in the slips.
USA, by that delivery and that catch, announced they were not the minnows in this game. They were playing in their home and at the headquarters of American cricket.
After that, it was a tight show run by left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige, who outclassed the sloppy Pakistani batters. Shadab Khan played well, but Azam Khan missed a straight delivery, and Babar Azam could only score his first boundary of the day off the 25th delivery he faced. If not for Shaheen Afridi’s 23 off 16 at the end, Pakistan would have struggled to cross 150.
USA did most of the job then and there. Ali Khan (1/30), whose roots are in Pakistan, also did his part quite well.
Then, in their batting, the USA were hardly troubled by the highly-rated pace quartet of Pakistan. It was as if all the venom in their bowling was sucked out at immigration.
While Naseem Shah seamed in and got Taylor out early, wicketkeeper and captain Monank Patel (50 off 38) and Andries Gous (35 off 26) built the base on which USA ensured that despite Mohammad Amir’s (1/25) exceptional bowling, they were good enough to tie the score. And for them, it was that man again - their hero from the first game, Aaron Jones.
Jones, who grew up playing cricket along with Nicholas Pooran and Jason Holder, was brilliant yet again, scoring 36* off 26 and taking USA to a Super Over.
And that was when all hell broke loose for Pakistan.
After all, it’s one thing being unpredictable. But mediocrity is always punished at this level.
Jones was brilliant right from the first ball of the Super Over. Amir bowled it slow and into the pitch from over the wicket to the right-hander. Jones, with a cool pack wrapped on his sinews, just slashed it meticulously behind third man for a boundary.
The second and third deliveries went for two and one run each. Amir was nailing it until now.
But on the fourth delivery, the villain turned almost-hero, lost his line and length and bowled a wide. Even Rizwan lost it behind the wickets and conceded a bye. Two runs on a ball that didn’t count.
Nine runs off three balls. Not bad from the Americans. Not bad at all.
The fourth delivery was fine, and only one run was taken on it. The fifth delivery saw Jones and Harmeet scamper for a second, which should have ideally been stopped if Pakistan had not fielded like they were in the 90s and played in Dubai instead of Dallas.
The next delivery was even worse. The batters ran two on a wide as Amir erred in his length yet again. The batters ran on Rizwan’s poor throw as well, which had no one backing up.
With one run off the last ball, the USA scored 18 in an over that saw the worst side of mercurial Pakistan. They were so poor on the day that USA had their foot on their throat throughout the game. The Super Over finish doesn't exactly sums up the overarching narrative of Pakistan's own chaos consuming them.
Meanwhile, while defending, Netravalkar again came good when it mattered the most. Giving awayjust one boundary off the bat, the Masters in Computer Science from Cornell University stopped Pakistan at 13/1.
Netravalkar might not have played for the Indian national team. However, along with his teammates from South Africa, Barbados, and Pakistan, he won himself and his new nation the sweet taste of victory.
Probably, this is what the founders of the world’s oldest democracy envisioned their country as—a land of opportunities where people from around the world would be free to come and dream to be more than just their name and origin—to be bigger, to be winners.
And by being the winners today, this motley group of cricketers from around the globe gave the 248-year-old nation the biggest win in its cricketing history.
This was Cricket’s American dream that actually came true.
If you’ve not downloaded the Cricket.com app yet, you’re missing out. Play Fantasy on Cricket.com NOW! Download the App here.
