The US team was thrown straight into the deep end as they took on India A in the warm-up fixture at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy in Navi Mumbai on Monday evening.
At a venue known for producing high-scoring thrillers, India A dominated with the bat, scoring 238/3 in 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-bat Narayan Jagadeesan slammed 11 four and five sixes on the way to 104 off 55 balls.
All eyes were on Tilak Varma who has been out for over a month due to injury. The BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE) recently cleared him to return to the field, and the India batter will play warm-up games against the USA and South Africa (February 4) before heading to the World Cup.
Varma hit the ground running as he scored a 24-ball 38. His 113-run partnership with Jagdeesan gave India A the momentum to canter to a big score. Captain Ayush Badoni helped India step on the gas later in the innings, with and unbeaten 60 off just 26 balls.
USA’s Ali Khan, Jasdeep Singh and Shubham Ranjane picked a wicket but, but Ranjane was also the most economical bowler on the day, conceding 12 runs in his six overs.
Chasing a daunting target, the USA showed glimpses of the defiant spirit that had carried them to the Super 8 stage at the 2024 T20 World Cup. Though India A reduced them to 33/2, opener Andries Gous continued to attack, scoring a breezy 44 at the top of the order. Sanjay Krishnamurthi was even more destructive, as he hit two fours and four sixes for a 18-ball 41.
Despite losing wickets regularly, the USA continued full throttle through cameos from Shubham Ranjane (28), Harmeet Singh (25) and Mohammad Mohsin (21). However, their spirited chase ended at 200 in 19.4 overs.
For India A, Ravi Bishnoi was the most successful bowler with 3/37, while Khaleel Ahmed and Naman Dhir claimed two apiece.
Big Boost for Italy after win against Canada
Canada won the toss but not much went well with them as they crashed to a six-wicket loss to Italy. Cananda decided to bowl first against Italy in the final warm-up fixture of Day 1. With their T20 World Cup debut against Scotland scheduled for February 9, Italy made the most of the opportunity, putting up a healthy total of 156/4 in their 20 overs to gain much-needed match practice.
Justin Mosca and Anthony Mosca provided Italy with solid starts at the top, scoring 22 runs apiece. The standout performance with the bat came from JJ Smuts, who struck five fours and a six in a composed 49 off 37 balls. Harry Manenti added the finishing touches with a brisk 33 off 24 deliveries.
For Canada, Kaleem Sana and Saad Bin Zafar were the most effective bowlers, each returning figures of 1/26 of their four overs. Dilpreet Bajwa and Jaskarandeep Singh also chipped in with a wicket apiece.
Canada’s openers provided a solid start to the chase, with Yuvraj Samra scoring 33 off 23 balls and Dilpreet Bajwa adding 37 off 34 deliveries. However, the momentum slowed considerably as the rest of the batting line-up failed to build on the platform.
Nicholas Kirton kept Canada in the hunt with a fighting 33 off 27 balls, taking them close to the target, but they eventually fell short by 10 runs as Italy secured a morale-boosting victory.
Italy’s bowlers were spot on, applying consistent pressure and not allowing the run rate to climb. Ali Hasan and Benjamin Manenti were particularly effective, picking up a wicket each while conceding just 22 runs from their four overs. Thomas Draca, JJ Smuts, and Grant Stewart also chipped in with a wicket apiece as Italy sealed the win.
