T20 World Cup: Sahibzada Farhan fires Pakistan to victory against USA

Sahibzada Farhan's blistering half-century and a disciplined performance from their spinners helped Pakistan outclass USA by 32 runs in Colombo on Tuesday.

Sahibzada Farhan's explosive half-century and a clinical showing by the spinners lifted Pakistan to a convincing 32-run win over the United States of America in a Group A match of the T20 World Cup, in Colombo, on Tuesday.

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Farhan smashed a 41-ball 73 to guide Pakistan to a healthy 190 for nine, before their highly-efficient spin quartet of Abrar Ahmed (1/30), Mohammad Nawaz (1/21), Shadab Khan (2/26) and Usman Tariq (3/27) restricted USA to 158 for eight. 

It was Pakistan's second successive victory in this tournament, as they jumped to top of Group A with four points. 

Shubham Ranjane made an aggressive fifty -- 51 from 30 balls with three sixes and as many fours, but it was useful only to reduce the margin of defeat. 

Openers Shayan Jahangir (49 off 34) and Andries Gous (13 off 13) had given USA a bright start, as they raced to 42 in the fifth over, but the introduction of spin changed the complexion of the match.

Nawaz struck with the wicket of Gous as USA ended the Powerplay at 50 for 1. 

It was all a struggle for them thereafter. The dismissal was a precursor to the ensuing happenings as Pakistan spinners grabbed seven of the eight USA wickets that fell on the night.

The next four overs saw the US batters struggling massively against Pakistan spinners, adding just 18 runs for the loss of skipper Monank Patel, who gave a return catch to leg-spinner Shadab Khan. 

Jahangir too departed soon as his attempted heave off Shadab ended in the hands of Shaheen Shah Afridi at midwicket. 

Ranjane and Milind Kumar (23) added 66 runs for the fourth wicket but the required run-rate was far too steep to cover up even with some lusty hits late in their innings. 

Earlier, Farhan dominated right from the start, smashing an entertaining 73 from 41 balls. His 81-run stand for the third wicket with veteran Babar Azam, who stroked 46 from 32 balls, boosted Pakistan in the middle overs.

Put into bat, Pakistan's openers Farhan and Saim Ayub hit their way to 56 for no loss in five overs.

But pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk (4/25) got rid of both Saim Ayub and skipper Salman Agha in the space of five deliveries in the sixth over to put brakes on Pakistan's momentum.

Farhan was as usual all muscles, smoking bowlers for regular sixes. His huge six off spinner Milind Kumar was a testimony of his brute power.

Farhan's attacking knock also allowed Babar to settle in and then play his shots in the first match under lights at the Sinhalese Sports Club.

In fact, the right-hander, whose strike-rate of 110 is the lowest for any batter in the history of the T20 World Cup, took 20 balls to smash his first six.

Babar, Farhan power Pakistan in middle overs

But once he got some kind of rhythm, Babar looked all class, using cross-batted shots to find some boundaries.

He took a toll on left-arm spinner Harmeet Singh, carving him for a six and two fours in the 12th over as Pakistan run-rate gradually touched 10 an over.

Farhan raced to his ninth T20 fifty -- his first in the T20 World Cup, from just 27 balls.

But Babar's inherent lack of power in his batting snapped his stay, as Milind took an excellent diving catch at deep off spinner Mohammad Mohsin.

Farhan perished soon after, dismissed by Harmeet as Sanjay Krishnamurthi took a well-judged running catch at long-off.

All-rounder Shadab Khan provided the flourish with a quickfire cameo of 30 from 12 balls, which included four boundaries and a six.