CNN Central News & Network-ITDC India Epress / ITDC News Bhopal: Harmeet Singh, the Player of the Match in USA’s win over Bangladesh in Prairie View in the first T20I, said his team were “no walkovers”.
USA (19th) are ten ranks behind Bangladesh in the format, but that hardly played up on Tuesday. They restricted Bangladesh to 153 for 6, before reaching the target with three balls to spare. That ensured USA beat a Full Member side for only the second time in their history, having defeated Ireland in 2021. Harmeet bowled four economical overs by conceding only 27 runs, before smashing an unbeaten 33 off just 13 balls.
“You don’t always get an opportunity to win a game against a big side like this every day,” Harmeet said. “The way the boys have been training, it is a personal effort from everybody. It means a lot to us to put on a show against Bangladesh. We are no walkovers. I think our potential is immense. We have a lot of match-winners in the team. It gives us the edge. We bat as well now.
“A lot of guys can also bowl two to four overs, like Steven [Taylor] did. Nitish [Kumar] and Milind [Kumar] can bowl a few overs. We have bench strength too. The competition within the team is helping us. Everyone wants to do well, and that’s helping the side.”
USA needed 55 runs in the last four overs when Harmeet struck three sixes and two fours, adding 62 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket with Corey Anderson, who was not out on 34 from 25 deliveries.
“I told the guys before the game that Bangladesh are a good team on paper, but if we go down without a fight, it won’t send a good message,” Harmeet said. “We know the wicket, as this is our home condition. We know everything about this ground. It is a T20 format. Couple of hiccups, we push them in the powerplay. Then you can corner them and close out the game.”
Harmeet also believed that Bangladesh made a tactical error by choosing the wrong end for Mustafizur Rahman, who had derailed them with two wickets in the 12th over. But switching ends meant the batters had the advantage of Prairie Valley’s high winds against the other bowlers. Mustafizur ended up conceding 32 runs in his last two overs.
“A lot of guys can also bowl two to four overs, like Steven [Taylor] did. Nitish [Kumar] and Milind [Kumar] can bowl a few overs. We have bench strength too. The competition within the team is helping us. Everyone wants to do well, and that’s helping the side.”
USA needed 55 runs in the last four overs when Harmeet struck three sixes and two fours, adding 62 runs for the unbroken sixth wicket with Corey Anderson, who was not out on 34 from 25 deliveries.
“I told the guys before the game that Bangladesh are a good team on paper, but if we go down without a fight, it won’t send a good message,” Harmeet said. “We know the wicket, as this is our home condition. We know everything about this ground. It is a T20 format. Couple of hiccups, we push them in the powerplay. Then you can corner them and close out the game.”
Harmeet also believed that Bangladesh made a tactical error by choosing the wrong end for Mustafizur Rahman, who had derailed them with two wickets in the 12th over. But switching ends meant the batters had the advantage of Prairie Valley’s high winds against the other bowlers. Mustafizur ended up conceding 32 runs in his last two overs.
