Chennai, February 14 Revitalized by a commanding win over the Netherlands, the United States will aim to keep their slim Super Eight hopes alive when they face Namibia in a must-win Group A clash here on Sunday.
With two wins from as many matches, India and Pakistan occupy the top two spots in the group, but a victory for USA would keep them in contention should either of the frontrunners falter in the remaining fixtures.
After losing their first two matches, USA roared back with a 93-run victory over the Dutch, recording the biggest winning margin by runs for an Associate team in the T20 World Cup history. It was also their first win over the Netherlands after six previous defeats across formats.
A clinical batting effort followed by a disciplined spin performance laid the foundation for the turnaround.
Saiteja Mukkamalla, recalled to the XI, made full use of the opportunity with a fluent knock laced with authoritative off-side strokes. Shubham Ranjane provided late acceleration to propel the side close to the 200-run mark, while skipper Monank Patel chipped in with 36 after two low scores, though he failed to convert his start.
With a formidable total on the board, USA’s bowlers struck early and never relented. Harmeet Singh led the spin charge, supported ably by Mohammad Mohsin and Nosthush Kenjige, as the trio shared seven wickets for 60 runs in 10 overs to dismantle the Dutch batting.
The spin trio will once again be crucial against a Namibia side that struggled against quality spin in their previous outing when Varun Chakravarthy proved to be a thorn in their flesh.
Seamer Shadley van Schalkwyk has also provided stability in the powerplay, claiming three wickets in the last match.
Namibia, staring at elimination after consecutive defeats, will need significant improvement with the bat, particularly against spin, and tighter bowling execution at the death.
Skipper Gerhard Erasmus and Jan Frylinck will anchor the batting, while JJ Smit and Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton are expected to shoulder the bowling responsibility.
USA have won the last two meetings between the sides, but Namibia will aim to reverse that trend when they clash in what are expected to be slow conditions at Chepauk.
Teams:
==========
USA: Monank Patel (c), Jessy Singh, Andries Gous, Shehan Jayasuriya, Milind Kumar, Shayan Jahangir, Saiteja Mukkamala, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Harmeet Singh, Nosthush Kenjige, Shadley Van Schalkwyk, Saurabh Netravalkar, Ali Khan, Mohammad Mohsin and Shubham Ranjane.
Namibia: Gerhard Erasmus (captain), Jan Balt, Zane Green (wk), Malan Kruger, Dylan Leicher, Lauren Steenkamp, Jan Frylinck, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, William Myburgh, JJ Smit, Jack Brassel, Max Heingo, Bernard Scholtz, Ben Shikongo, Ruben Trumpelmann.
Match starts: 3pm.