If someone had supported Gajanand, things could have been different: USA skipper Monank Patel
Jun 18, 2023
Harare [Zimbabwe], June 18 : The United States of America skipper Monank Patel believes if someone had supported their century scorer Gajanand Singh things could have been different in their 39-run loss against West Indies in World Cup 2023 Qualifier on Sunday at the Takashinga Cricket Club.
West Indies managed to put up a score of 297 in the first innings. USA started slowly yet steadily, but they soon started to struggle when West Indies bowlers increased the intensity of their attack.
Gajanand remained unbeaten with a ton however it was insufficient as they ended up falling short by 39 runs and posted a score of 258/7.
"I thought the wicket was nice to bat on in the second innings. Our batters (top four) did not apply themselves to settle at the crease. If someone had supported Gajanand, things could have been different. Really happy with the way he played. I hope he continues in the next few games," Patel said in the post-match presentation.
In the first innings, the US had a start to remember as their new-ball pair of Saurabh Netravalkar and Kyle Phillip asked several questions of the West Indies batters with their precise lines and lengths. The duo bagged a wicket each as the West Indies lost their openers within the first six overs.
But after that, they took their foot off the pedal. This gave West Indies batters a window of opportunity to make a comeback. Patel pointed out all such instances where his team fell behind.
"We started really well with the new ball, we applied ourselves. Kyle and Saurabh did really well. We created chances but our fielding was not up to standard. We dropped a lot of catches and ended up giving 30-40 runs extra," Pated signed off.
USA will try to open their account as they will square off against Nepal in their second match on Tuesday.
