India and the USA are set to lock horns in a top-of-the-table clash in Group A of the ongoing T20 World Cup in New York on Wednesday, June 12. Both teams have had an incredible tournament so far, winning their first two games. A win for either would seal their place in the Super 8 stage.
Rohit Sharma and his men thumped Ireland by eight wickets but had to dig deep against Pakistan to earn the two points. Their bowlers stepped up while defending a target of 120 but the Men in Blue will know their batters need to do better.
The USA have been among the stories of the tournament so far with a convincing win over Canada followed by a thrilling Super Over victory over Pakistan. While India seem to be favorites on paper, the USA have shown the ability to pull off an upset.
On that note, let’s take a look at three match-ups that could have a direct impact on the result of the game:
#3 Aaron Jones vs Axar Patel
Aaron Jones is among the USA‘s best batters and he has already shown what he is capable of in this tournament. He smashed a sensational 94* off just 40 balls against Canada and followed it up with a handy 36* against Pakistan; he is yet to be dismissed in the tournament.
India will know they need to get Jones out as soon as possible, and while they have big weapons like Jasprit Bumrah in their ranks, Axar Patel‘s left-arm spin might just do the trick. The two-paced nature of the pitch in New York coupled with variable bounce worked well for Axar against Pakistan.
He bowled two overs in that game and conceded 11 runs, including just two in the 16th over. It’ll be interesting to see whether Jones can find a way to score briskly despite longer square boundaries and Axar Patel’s accuracy.
#2 Rishabh Pant vs Nosthush Kenjige
Rishabh Pant‘s entry point at No. 3 has worked incredibly well for India so far in the T20 World Cup. The left-hander has already played a couple of crucial cameos – 36*(26) against Ireland and 42(31) against Pakistan – and has shown the difference he can make with his X-factor.
Pant over the years has shown how much he likes to take down spinners, especially left-arm spinners who are generally a positive match-up for him. However, he wasn’t quite able to clear the bigger square boundaries in New York against Imad Wasim and had to bring his reverse sweep into play.
This makes Pant’s match-up with the USA’s left-arm spinner Nosthush Kenjige an intriguing one. Kenjige is also high on confidence after his brilliant figures of 3/30 helped his team beat Pakistan.
#1 Rohit Sharma vs Saurabh Netravalkar
Indian captain Rohit Sharma has shown shades of hitting good form in the T20 World Cup with a fine half-century against Ireland. He also looked good against Pakistan, before perishing off Shaheen Afridi’s bowling while trying to clear the square leg fence.
Rohit has continued to show intent even in testing conditions and the USA would look at it as an opportunity to get the veteran opener out cheaply if they bowl in the right areas. This is where left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar could make a massive dent in the Men in Blue’s batting.
Netravalkar frustrated the Pakistan batters with his accuracy, racking up figures of 2/18 from his four overs, and was also difficult to get away in the Super Over. If he is able to frustrate Rohit with his accuracy, he could get the Indian skipper out. The new ball bowlers will get help upfront and Rohit’s struggles against left-arm pacers have been well-documented.
Looking for fast live cricket scores? Download CricRocket and get fast score updates, top-notch commentary in-depth match stats & much more! 🚀☄️
