Ali Khan led a spirited bowling performance as the USA registered a thrilling six-run win over Bangladesh in the second T20I to seal a historic series victory. Skipper Monank Patel’s 38-ball 42, along with useful 30s from Steven Taylor and Aaron Jones helped the hosts finish with 144/6 at the Prairie View Cricket Complex in Houston. Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto top-scored with 36 but the visiting side fell short of the target after losing their last six wickets for only 32 runs to concede an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.
Opting to bowl, Bangladesh couldn’t make early inroads but they did well to keep the USA to 42/0 in the powerplay, despite Taylor hitting a couple of sixes. Rishad Hossain struck twice in the seventh over, getting rid of Taylor and Andries Gous off successive deliveries, to put pressure on the home team. But Jones and Patel joined forces and added 48 for the third wicket to stabilise the innings, helping the USA past 100 in the 15th over.
Mustafizur and Shoriful Islam picked up quick wickets in the death overs but Patel’s innings and handy runs from the lower order batters helped the USA finish with a total in excess of 140.
Bangladesh suffered an early setback in the chase as Saurabh Netravalkar dismissed Soumya Sarkar for a golden duck. Tanzid Hasan, who got off to a promising start, was cleaned up by Jessy Singh in the fifth over and Bangladesh finished with only 43/2 in the powerplay. Najmul and Towhid Hridoy put on a 48-run stand before the Bangladesh captain was run out. Anderson then accounted for Hridoy’s wicket as Bangladesh slipped to 92/4 after 13 overs.
Shakib Al Hasan struck a six and a four off Taylor in the 14th over to bring the equation down to 43 off 36, and despite Mahmudullah getting out to Shadley van Schalkwyk, the left-hander hit two more fours off Jessy Singh to keep Bangladesh comfortably placed as they needed only 26 off the last four overs. But the three overs that followed changed the complexion of the game completely as Jaker Ali fell to van Schalkwyk, Ali Khan picked up the important wicket of Shakib and dismissed Tanzim Hasan Sakib. Rishad, however, ended the 18th over with a four off Ali Khan, leaving Bangladesh needing 15 off 12.
Netravalkar bowled an excellent penultimate over, conceding only three runs and picking up the wicket of Shoriful. With 12 needed in the last over, Mustafizur scampered to the non-striker’s end with a bye off the first ball and then Rishad struck a four off Ali Khan. Bangladesh needed 7 off 4 balls when an attempted scoop shot proved fatal for Bangladesh as Rishad fell to Ali Khan off the third ball, bringing an end to Bangladesh’s innings.
Brief scores: USA 144/6 in 20 overs (Monank Patel 42, Aaron Jones 35; Rishad Hossain 2-21, Shoriful Islam 2-29) beat Bangladesh 138 in 19.3 overs (Najmul Hossain Shanto 36; Ali Khan 3-25, Saurabh Netravalkar 2-15) by 6 runs.
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