Sahibzada FarhanFifty years old, clinical spin attack pushed Pakistan China beat the United States with a 32-match winning streak in the Group A T20 World Cup match at the Sinhala Sports Club on Tuesday. Farhan was the star with the bat, knocking 73 off just 41 balls to lead Pakistan to a score of 190 for 9. His aggressive innings, which included multiple towering sixes, provided Pakistan with a platform to register a strong total despite losing wickets early on. Babar Azam (46 off 32) supported him well, adding 81 for the third wicket after Pakistan’s score slipped to 56 between the two teams in the powerplay.
Team USA opener Shayan Jahangir (49 off 34) and Andries Gous (13 off 13) got off to a good start, hitting 50 in one shot after five overs. But the once Pakistani spin quartet – Abrar Ahmed (1/30), Mohammad Nawaz (1/21), Shadab Khan (2/26), and Usman Tariq (3/27) – After its introduction, the US Bureau was in trouble. Seven of the eight wickets that fell were taken by Pakistan spinners, preventing any sustained partnership. Skipper Monak Patel fell cheaply to Shadab and Jahangir’s high shot was well caught by Shaheen Afridi at mid-wicket. Shubham Ranjane (51 off 30) and Milind Kumar (23) fought back with a 66-run fourth wicket, but the required run-rate proved too high and kept the US from reaching the target. Earlier, Pakistan lost Saim Ayub and captain Salman Agha. Shadley of SchalvikThe sixth round was a heated affair (4/25), but Farhan’s muscular offense kept the fight on track. Even as wickets fell in the latter stages, Shadab’s 30 off 12 balls ensured Pakistan finished with a formidable total. The win marked Pakistan’s second consecutive victory as they top Group A with four points. Brief score: Pakistan 190/9 (Sahibzada Farhan 73, Babar Azam 46; Shadley van Schalkwyk 4/25) beat USA 158/8 (Shubham Ranjane 51, Shayan Jahangir 49; Usman Tariq 3/27) by 32 runs.
