Pakistan right-handed opener Sahibzada Farhan gave Pakistan a quick start alongside Saim Ayub who looked good out there. But Shadley van Schalkwyk came into the attack and in his second over picked up a couple of wickets to peg things back a little for USA’s point of view. Ayub was off and running and looked good before he got out while captain Salman Ali Agha fell for a low score.
Sahibzada Farhan gives Pakistan a flying start while Shadley van Schalkwyk’s double strike gives USA something to cheer about in powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, Sahibzada Farhan and Saim Ayub opened the batting for Pakistan while Saurabh Netravalkar had ball in hand for USA. Ayub made his intentions clear as he came down the track and launched over long-on for the maximum. Ayub survived a LBW scare as Umpire’s call went with him. Debutant Ehsan Adil came into the attack next. Farhan got into the act as he smashed consecutive boundaries of the bowler through midwicket and then through backward point.
Farhan got his third boundary of the over as he punched it sweetly through extra covers for a boundary. Netravalkar continued as Ayub took him on as he picked it up and lifted the ball over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Farhan joined in on the act as he heaved the ball over midwicket for the maximum. Shadley van Schalkwyk came into the attack next. Ayub got an outside edge that went away to the third man fence. Ayub got lucky as the ball evaded Monank for a double.
Milind Kumar came into the attack next. Farhan took him on and flat batted it over long-off for the maximum. Farhan hit another boundary through a full down leg side. Farhan then launched the bowler over long-off down the ground for the maximum. Pakistan were 54/0 in 5 overs.
Shadley came to bowl the final over of powerplay and he removed Saim Ayub for 19 off 17 balls with one four and two sixes to his name as the pace off the ball into the pitch on a hard length pitching on the off-stump line and deviating across outside the off-stump. Extra bounce as well for the bowler. Ayub looked to slap it away over extra cover and hit it too hard and lost his shape. He got the thick outside edge and the ball went straight to short third man as Saurabh took the catch.
Captain Salman Ali Agha walked out after Drinks and got off the mark. Shadley got two in the over as Salman fell for 1 off 3 balls. It was a slower short of a length delivery following the batter. Salman decided to take it and swivelled to pull it away and hit it flat to Jahangir at deep square leg. Babar Azam came out to bat next as after powerplay Pakistan were 56/2 with Farhan unbeaten on 35 off 16 balls.
Sahibzada Farhan’s half-century drives Pakistan to the halfway stage of the innings.Â
Mohammad Mohsin came into the attack next and bowled a quiet over. Harmeet Singh came into the attack next. He also bowled a decent over. Mohammad Mohsin continued as Farhan broke the shackles by picking it up and cleared deep midwicket for the maximum. Ehsan Adil came back into the attack and bowled a no ball. But the free hit yielded a single. Farhan completed his fifty off 27 balls. His maiden T20 WC fifty.
Pakistan reached 85/2 in 10 overs with Farhan unbeaten on 52 off 28 balls and Babar Azam on 10* off 13 balls. Pakistan on top at this stage.
What Lies Ahead.Â
Pakistan despite losing both wickets have done well thanks to Farhan to get to 85/2 in 10 overs. Pakistan bats deep and wickets in hand will mean they can get to 180+. USA will be hoping for wickets to come back in the game. An important stage comes our way now.
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