Many firsts will unfold when the hosts United States of America welcome their neighbors at the Grand Prairie Stadium in Texas tomorrow. It will be the first time both the teams will compete in a T20 World Cup. It will also be the first International match played on the Grand Prairie soil. Most importantly, it will be cricket’s first date, and blind date at that, with the continent that holds so much for the game we all love. But for these two teams, it’s nothing new. They will not face each other, donning cricket kits for the first time. It’s a century-old affair between these sides which will be rejuvenated in the opening match of the T20 World Cup. However, this time many eyes from around the world will witness them play this game we call cricket.
USA would enter the Grand Prairie Stadium in a red-hot form. And rightly so. They come fresh from triumphing over a Test-playing nation. There seems to be nothing that can dampen their spirits in today’s game. Nothing except the biggest killjoy in cricket; rain. After playing spoilsport during the warm-up fixtures at this very venue, rain once again threatens to ruin this tryst for which the world has been painted red.
Team Overview:
For a long time, Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi held the record for the fastest century in one-day Internationals. But this record was finally and mercilessly clinched by Corey Anderson. The same Corey Anderson will be playing for the hosts in tomorrow’s match. Interestingly, the skippers of both teams, Saad bin Zafar of Canada and Monank Patel of the USA, were born more than three decades ago to the biggest rival nations in cricket; Pakistan and India respectively. This will but ignite the rivalry even more. But most importantly, it will be the desire to get a headstart after victory that will push both teams to play their best game.
It is also a battle between a team teeming with batters and a team relying on its bowlers to get it over the line. The USA has an incredible top order including Steven Taylor, Monank Patel, and Andries Gous. Canada, on the polar opposite, boasts a good mix of spinners and fast bowlers. Captain Saad bin Zafar, Kaleem Sana, Jeremy Gordon, and Nikhil Dutta would rally to keep the American batters at bay while Aaron Johnson would surely light up the Dallas stadium with his fiery display of abetting.
Head-to-Head Matches
Both sides have faced each other seven times in the shortest format of the game, with the USA dominating these encounters by 5-2. Four of these victories came in April this year when the American team clean-swept Canada 4-0.
Weather and Pitch Report
Weather remains ominous in Dallas with heavy grey clouds threatening to empty themselves anytime. However, at best only a passing shower is expected during the game time; something which will not be enough to affect the match significantly.
Although no International match has ever been played at the Grand Prairie Stadium, it has been host to 12 matches during the 2023 edition of Major League Cricket (MLC). Though limited the data may be, it is understood the stadium has track batters love to show their forte on. Two of these twelve games saw the teams breaking through the 200-runs milestone. A high-scoring encounter is definitely on the cards.
Prediction
While both teams will try to punch above their weights to register the victory next to their names, the in-form batters of the USA are more likely to triumph over Canada in the opener of the T20 World Cup.
Where to Watch:
- India – Star Sports
- Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming) and Tamasha app (Live streaming)
- USA and Canada – Willow TV
- England – Sky Sports Network
- Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
- New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
- Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
