USA vs Pak, T20 World Cup 2024: Pitch report, head to head, playing 11 predictions, toss time

Pakistan skipper Babar Azam as they face USA in T20 World Cup

In what promises to be a thrilling encounter, the USA – riding high after their thrilling run chase and win against Canada – will face Pakistan, hoping to reprise the upsets they pulled off against Bangladesh in a recent bilateral series. In contrast, Pakistan go into the game struggling with form and fitness issues. It should make for an intriguing contest.

Pakistan fans will need no reminding of the dangers of the underdog’s bite. Back in 2007, their 50-over World Cup campaign was derailed by a team of plucky part-timers from Ireland. Pakistan do have pedigree in this competition though, having won it in 2009 and being beaten finalists in the last edition.

The opening duo of Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam are critical to their hopes of a strong showing. Haris Rauf, the in-form bowler, will have the responsibility to contain the USA’s middle-order batsmen, particularly Aaron Jones. The inclusion of Shadab Khan, despite his recent struggles, adds all-round potential.

Jones, who smashed 94 from 40 balls against Canada, has emerged as a pivotal player for the USA. Against Canada, he was effective against both pace and spin. Corey Anderson, with his extensive T20 experience for New Zealand and franchise sides, will also be vital. His ability to turn the game around, as seen in his prolific run in Major League Cricket (MLC), could be crucial.

Pakistan’s pace quartet should ask too many tricky questions, but as the likes of Oman and Papua New Guinea have already shown in this tournament, there are no longer any easy matches for the so-called big sides.

The pitch in Dallas has offered early seam movement with decent bounce and carry, favouring the bowlers initially but becoming more batting-friendly as the game progresses. The weather is expected to be bright and sunny, ensuring a full match without interruptions. This suits both teams, who will look to capitalise on the batting-friendly surface.

USA: Steven Taylor, Monank Patel (c, wk), Andries Gous, Aaron Jones, Nitish Kumar, Corey Anderson, Harmeet Singh, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Jasdeep Singh, Ali Khan, Saurabh Netravalkar.

Pakistan: Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Babar Azam (c), Usman Khan, Fakhar Zaman, Azam Khan, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf/Mohammad Amir, Naseem Shah, Abrar Ahmed.

The match will begin at 9pm IST, with the toss scheduled for 8:30pm.

The match will be broadcast on the Star Sports network and live-streamed on Disney+ Hotstar.