Bangladesh repaired some of their battered pride by defeating the USA by 10 wickets in the third and final game of the three-match series on Saturday in Houston.
Mustafizur Rahman was the star, taking six wickets to dismantle the American batting lineup. The Americans, who had surprised their higher-ranked opponents by winning the first two games, managed only 104-9 in their 20 overs. Bangladesh chased down the total in just 11.4 overs without losing a wicket, with Tanzid Hasan scoring 58 off 42 balls and Soumya Sarkar contributing 43 off 28.
Despite the loss, the USA claimed the series 2-1, providing a significant morale boost ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup, which they will co-host with the West Indies. They will face Canada in the opening game of the tournament on Saturday in Dallas, though they do so after this chastening defeat.
Shayan Jahangir and Andries Gous initially gave the hosts a strong start, but once Gous was dismissed for 27 and Jahangir followed for 18, the American innings lost momentum, managing only 14 runs for the next three wickets. Mustafizur returned for his second spell at the death, securing his career-best T20I figures of 6-10.
Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto expressed his satisfaction with the team’s response to their earlier defeats. “I think the boys showed a lot of character today. The plan we made before this match, everyone executed,” he said. Though disappointed by the series loss, he emphasised the importance of this victory for their confidence heading into the World Cup. USA vice-captain Aaron Jones acknowledged the team’s poor shot selection as a key factor in their collapse. He stressed the importance of their upcoming warm-up games against Bangladesh and Nepal in Dallas to fine-tune their combination for the World Cup.
The USA will look to bounce back and refine their strategy in these preparatory matches, crucial for building momentum before facing Canada in the tournament opener.—INP
