The United States of America is probably the most dominant among the underdogs, despite being the first-time hosts. The USA started on a strong note as they comfortably won a high-scoring match against Canada.
When continuously said to be a dominant team, Pakistan will still face harsh opposition from the hosts, as the cricketing world is quite aware of their undeniable form.
Pakistan has faced serious trouble with training sessions, as most of them have been washed out due to heavy rains. Prior to the World Cup, they were busy playing bilateral series against the English and Ireland in the United Kingdom. On the contrary, the United States has adapted well to home conditions and looked quite convincing in their opening game.
Speaking of form, the USA will be the most confident side after their dominance over Bangladesh and Canada, while Pakistan suffered a one-sided series defeat at the hands of England.
Despite having a star-studded bowling unit, the Pakistani pacers are not aware of the pitch conditions yet. On the other hand, the United States played a good first game in the opening fixture against Canada.
The pitch conditions in Dallas are batting-friendly as compared to the disgustingly tough tracks in New York and Barbados. But leaving aside the Pakistani duo Rizwan-Babar, their entire batting unit has failed to provide any standout performances. Even the experienced Fakhar Zaman has not been able to convince anyone with his batting antics.
Monank Patel on his team’s chances against Pakistan
“You know, it’s T20. Once we have a good 30–40 minutes on the field, you never know. We can take the game away.”
Pakistan would miss the likes of their all-rounder Imad Wasim, who was their most dependable player for the T20 World Cup campaign and was brought in by the side, citing his immense experience in the United States. With a confirmed injury, he is ruled out for the first few games.
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Early seam and bounce of the track might be helpful for the pacers with the new ball, but Pakistan might face a backlash in the mid-overs as USA’s Aaron Jones will look to dominate the out-of-knick Shadab and the inconsistent Haris Rauf.
Owing to the lack of form, Pakistan might not be the one-sided favorites, as the dominant hosts might look to take over the Asian giants with their immense self-confidence and outstanding form of players anchored by the international experience of Corey Anderson.