IND vs USA Match 3 Results

5:52 PM IST Dared, but stood tall - The USA pushed India hard, but the defending champions still kicked off their title defence with a victory. Not the most convincing win for the Men in Blue, but the bowlers did just well enough to drag them through, coupled with a captain’s knock that rescued the night for India. Despite the loss, there are plenty of positives for the USA in the way they executed their plans with the ball and put their bodies behind the ball in the field.

5:51 PM IST The captain of USA - Monank Patel feels his bowlers did a commendable job, particularly in the way they assessed the conditions and the pitch to give the side early momentum. He admits that a few dropped catches at crucial moments proved costly and ultimately swung the game in India’s favour. Patel believes 160 was a competitive total on that surface and said the team would gladly take such a score on similar pitches. He admits that the top three failed to deliver and that the intent was lacking up front, but adds that the match offered plenty of learning and positives. According to him, handling the pressure of a big crowd and facing India was a valuable experience, one that would hold the team in good stead. He is confident the USA would take those lessons forward and come back stronger in their remaining games.

5:51 PM IST That's a wrap - We already had a couple of games where the associate nations gave big names a scare. But this is just the start, as we will be back with another triple dose on the second day. Sunday, 8th February sees Afghanistan go up against New Zealand in Chennai, which will be followed by England taking on Nepal in Mumbai, and the day will end in Colombo as Sri Lanka meet Ireland. The action will begin at 5.30 am GMT for an action-packed Sunday. But do make sure you join us in advance for all the pre-match buzz and build-up. Until then, goodbye, stay safe. Cheers!

5:48 PM IST A resilient partnership, but not enough in the end - Milind Kumar and Sanjay Krishnamurthi formed a fighting alliance through the middle overs and added 58 runs together, but they weren't offered many freebies and were forced to manufacture fours and sixes. But the two did extremely well to keep the USA afloat in the chase. However, once that partnership was broken, another such alliance never really materialised for the USA in the remainder of the chase. Shubham Ranjane played a fine unbeaten knock of 37, but it all came in a losing cause. Bowling-wise, barring Hardik Pandya, each and every bowler picked up at least one wicket, with Mohammed Siraj, the man called in the eleventh hour, finishing with a three-for.

5:44 PM IST A very entertaining day of cricket - Unarguably, it was a gripping opening day at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, one when the so-called underdogs refused to concede. The Netherlands pushed Pakistan all the way in the curtain raiser before falling short at the final hurdle. Scotland dragged West Indies into deep waters and denied them a win. And to cap it off, the USA pushed India to their limits, only for the Men in Blue to somehow emerge successful.

5:43 PM IST USA punched above their weight - This was easily one of the most improved bowling performances put together by the USA. They have come a long way over the last two years since the previous T20 World Cup. Shadley van Schalkwyk led the attack superbly with a brilliant four-wicket haul, and the rest backed him up well, barring Saurabh Netravalkar, who endured a rare off day. Monank Patel, too, was spot on with his plans and execution throughout and was supported well by his fielders too. The USA will rue a missed chance when Suryakumar Yadav was dropped on 15. Shubham Ranjane put him down on his follow-through, and one can only wonder how different things might have been had that opportunity been taken.