Twice in two games, cricketing upstarts USA stunned Bangladesh again, securing their maiden T20I series victory with a thrilling six-run win.
The second T20I at the Prairie View Cricket Complex was a golden moment for American fans. A disciplined bowling performance and clinical fielding saw them clinch an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.
Unfamiliar with the surface, Bangladeshi batsmen, accustomed to subcontinental slow turners, faltered in their chase of a modest 144-run target.
Only captain Najmul Hossain Shanto, star all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan, and the in-form Towhid Hridoy managed to make significant contributions. Left-arm pacer Saurabh Netravalkar drew first blood, dismissing Soumya Sarkar for a golden duck in the opening over. The chase continued to stutter as Tanzid Hasan fell soon after.
A crucial 48-run stand between Shanto and Hridoy offered a glimmer of hope for Bangladesh. However, the tide turned with a moment of brilliance from former New Zealand international Corey Anderson. A mix-up between the batters led to Shanto's dismissal, followed by Hridoy's stumps being rattled by an Anderson in-swinger.
Shakib Al Hasan led a lone fight, but wickets continued to fall at the other end. Chasing 21 runs off the final three overs, Shakib miscalculated a delivery, resulting in his dismissal. Bangladesh stayed close, but Ali Khan kept his nerve and dismissed Rishad Hossain to seal the win for USA.
Earlier, Bangladesh elected to field. Skipper Monank Patel top-scored for USA with 42 runs. Valuable contributions from Steven Taylor (31) and Aaron Jones (35) propelled the US score to a competitive 144/7.
Brief Score: United States 144/7 in 20 overs (Monank Patel 42, Aaron Jones 35, Rishad Hossain 2/21) vs Bangladesh 138 (Najmul Hossain Shanto 36, Shakib Al Hasan 30; Ali Khan 3-25, Saurabh Netravalkar 2-15).
