Insane cricket scenes rock New York as history made in USA
History has been made with “one of the biggest events in sport” stunning Americans with scenes unlike anything cricket has witnessed.
History has been made with more than 34,000 spectators watching on in New York as India defeated Pakistan in a rare showdown between the neighbouring countries.
Jasprit Bumrah was the hero as India beat Pakistan by six runs in a low-scoring T20 World Cup thriller that went down to the wire.
The sold out temporary Nassau County Cricket Stadium built in Eisenhower Park, in East Meadow on Long Island, was rocking as fans cheered on inside and outside the venue.
Live site venues across Manhattan also attracted thousands of fans to watch the game on big screens.
The United States is co-hosting the T20 World Cup with the West Indies with Lauderhill in South Florida and Dallas, also hosting games.
This fixture is the marquee game of the group stage of the competition bringing the two rivals face to face in a game which resonates well beyond cricket.
Political tensions and security concerns mean that the two rarely meet outside of major competitions but there was no hint of such issues among the fans, who were in festive mood despite the rain which caused a delay to the start.
It was Indian fans that were left cheering after the ball was bowled, after they looked in trouble earlier in the contest.
India were bowled out by Pakistan for 119 in 19 overs but while Mohammad Rizwan made 31 for Pakistan, in a well-paced innings, Bumrah delivered crucial wickets and his 3-14 in four overs proved decisive as Pakistan fell just short ending on 113-7.
Despite a tricky batting surface that made batting difficult, a crowd of 34,028, a record attendance for an international cricket match in the USA, were given a tight contest that ebbed and flowed.
Bumrah picked up the vital wicket of Pakistan captain Babar Azam (13) and then the breakthrough dismissal of Mohammad Rizwan (31) in the 15th over when Pakistan were 80-4.
Then, handed the ball for the penultimate over, with Pakistan needing 21 to win, Bumrah conceded just three runs and removed Iftikhar Ahmed with his final ball.
That left Pakistan needing 18 from the final over, a steep task on a difficult batting surface and it got more tricky when Arshdeep Singh trapped Imad Wasim lbw with the first ball.
Naseem Shah made a valiant effort, hitting the fourth and fifth balls of the over for fours but India avoided any late drama to secure their second win of the tournament.
For Pakistan, their loss, coming after the shock defeat to the USA, leaves them without a point and with a lot of work to do against Canada and Ireland if they are to fight their way into the Super Eight stage.
Earlier, Pakistan’s bowlers had given their team a fighting chance with Naseem and Haris Rauf claiming three wickets each as India were dismissed with a full over remaining of their allotted 20.
But Rishabh Pant’s 42 from 31 balls gave the Indians something to work with after they lost openers Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli cheaply.
They recovered to pull off a famous win.
For members of the Indian community in the USA, the tournament offers a rare chance to watch their heroes in the flesh rather than on internet streams.
“It’s in our backyard, so there is nothing like it, this is the first time we have had the chance to experience cricket which is the national sport for both India and Pakistan. We are lucky to have this amazing ground built just for this event,” said Kumar Mathuria from New York.
“There are lots of cricket fans in this area but I have also met people who have flown in from India and other places overseas for this game. It’s unbelievable,” he added.
On the crowded streets around the venue, traders sold jerseys of both teams, while Pakistan fans waved their national flag out of the tops of SUV’s.
Pakistan supporter Eswar Malik had flown from St. Louis for the game and said the rivalry was one that Americans now understood.
“It’s an old rivalry, its like the Yankees-Red Sox or St.Louis and Chicago, an old rivalry that goes on and on,” he said.
This is the fifth game to be held at the venue but by far the highest profile and the only one which will sell out the stadium.
That was evident in the long lines for security and the confusion around the parking areas.
Secondary market tickets were still available on various apps but any last minute purchasers would have to be ready to spend over $1,500 for a general admission ticket.
Inside the stadium, the ‘New York’ signage was the only reminder of where the game was being played with the music and pre-game build-up clearly designed for the fans of the two countries.
There was a huge roar when former Indian great Sachin Tendulkar was introduced to the crowd as part of the pre-game interviews.
Siddarth Kadavarthi had driven ten hours from North Carolina to attend the game and said the chance to see Indian greats Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, in what may be their last tournament, was something he couldn’t miss.
“They are absolute legends of Indian cricket, of the game itself and we might never get to see them in a game like this again, so although it was a 20-hour round-trip drive, I wasn’t going to miss it,” he said.
A beaming Mutharia had less specific motivation for his presence. “This is simply one of the biggest events in sports”.
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