And that was the last game in this New York stadium – they start to pack the whole thing all up tomorrow, after years of planning. The pitch dictated that New Yorkers wouldn’t be watching big-hitting six-fests, but there were some real humdingers nonetheless. The circus moves on now – with India joining Australia and South Africa in the Super Eights thanks to today’s slightly laboured win, while Pakistan and the USA hang on run-rate equations. USA play Ireland on Friday, Pakistan play Ireland on Sunday. Oh and England take on Oman in a must-win game tomorrow. We’ll be back for that and more – bye!

Aaron Jones: “I would say we were 10-15 runs short, if we got 125, 130 it would be a tough total. I think the boys were pretty disciplined, it was really pleasing to me to take the boys so close. We’re just going to hae a few meetings and come hard against Ireland for sure. I thought today seam was the best on this wicket, Monarch will be back for the next game.”

Rohit Sharma: “We knew it was going to be a tough task, we lost some wickets early. Lot of these guys [USA team] we played cricket together and I’m very happy to see their progress in cricket, they’re going from strength to strength and I wish nothing but the best for them. We know that the bowlers have to take the lead but they all did the job, particularly Arsheep. It is a big relief to be into the Super Eights, playing cricket here wasn’t easy, could have been anyone’s game – luckily for us we managed to pull through in all three games.”

It is Arshdeep Singh for his career best four for nine. “I’m very pleased with the performance. Last two games I gave away too many but team has kept backing me.The plan was to hit the hard lengths. In conditions like this you can use the wicket more at the death. You can back your execution with yorkers, Bumrah told me as well, to surprise batters.”

18.2 overs:India 111-3 ( Suryakumar 50, Dube 31) Suryakumar collects fifty and Dube finishes things off with a drive down the ground! India are through to the Super Eights and USA, despite a valiant fight, must go again.

18th over: India 102-3 ( Suryakumar 49, Dube 29) Cracking over from Netravalkar, India can’t reach the rope but that penalty run gift has smoothed oily waters. 3 needed from 12 balls

17th over: India 102-3 ( Suryakumar 45, Dube 28) Connection! Suryakumar, gloriously, rising like a skylark, lofts van Schalkwyk wide of long off for six. Four more follows, lapped, with perfect balance and a soupcon of flair. The page has turned.

“Hi Tanya.” Hello Simon McMahon. “Who knew that, just like in Tests, low scoring thrillers make for the best matches in T20 cricket too?”

9 needed from 18 balls

16th over: India 87-3 ( Suryakumar 31, Dube 27) Oh my, USA have just been given a five-run penalty for… breaching the sixty second gap between overs for the third time. Oh that’s a killer for the US. Still, India can’t get stuck into Jasdeep and USA stay focussed.

“Squeaky bum time for India?” asks Paul Burns. It surely was Paul with a run-rate of seven. But a run a ball isn’t easy either.

24 needed from 24 balls

15th over: India 76-3 ( Suryakumar 29, Dube 23) At last Dube makes sweet contact, B of the bang, launching a length ball from Anderson over mid wicket for six to ecstasies from the crowd. Slim pickings from then on but nine from the over will do it for India. 35 needed from 30 balls

14th over: India 67-3 ( Suryakumar 28, Dube 15) It’s another slow burn thriller in New York. The inspired Ali-Khan slings one down which nearly bites Dube on the hand. Suryakumar makes contact but only for a single. The win predictor gives USA only a 29 percent chance of a win which seems unduly harsh. And at last a boundary, off the last ball, a wristy flick up and over. 44 needed from 36 balls

13th over: India 60-3 ( Suryakumar 23, Dube 13) Crunch moment? Suryakumar hits van Schalkwyk high but Nethravalkar running backwards can’t hold on.

12th over: India 55-3 ( Suryakumar 21, Dube 9) Anderson proving remarkably tricky to get away. The pitch flirting with uncertainty by keeping low and nearly doing for Suryakumar. He sweeps but without result. The required run-rate is now up to seven.

11th over: India 53-3 ( Suryakumar 20, Dube 9) Jasdeep resumes after drinks, arms pumping, elbows high. Dube can’t get him away, tries a hack to his fourth ball and half attempts a single before turning back. Finally gets a boundary off the last, opening the face but it should have been stopped by the keeper. Jaseep looks to the sky and Taylor roars in frustration. Cracking over.

10th over: India 47-3 ( Suryakumar 20, Dube 3) Corey Anderson – think a friendlier, broader looking Brendon McCullum – takes his turn. Long run up, gentle medium pace. India can’t tuck in but a helpful wide takes them close to fifty at the half way point. USA were similarly paced at 42-3. Very interesting.

9th over: India 41-3 ( Suryakumar 17, Dube 1) Neat and ever so tidy from van Schalkwyk, two from the over and the run-rate required has crept over 6. This ground, the commentators say, is the lowest-scoring ground in T20 WC history.

8th over: India 39-3 ( Suryakumar 16, Dube 0) Fast around the wicket slingers from Ali-Khan removes Pant and holds India to three from the over. Rohit bites his nails in the dugout.

Take that! A corking, yorking zinger leaves Pant flat footed and middle stump pinged back.

7th over: India 35-2 (Pant 16, Suryakumar 14) van Schalkwyk has raided the consonant draw but can’t steal a wicket. Does however contain these two big hitters to just three singles.

6th over: India 33-2 (Pant 15, Suryakumar 13) Jasdeep starts the over with a no ball but Suryakumar can’t dispatch the free hit.A classic bit of Rishab Pant, toppling offside and helping the ball up and behind him for six keeps the score jogging along.

5th over: India 25-2 (Pant 9, Suryakumar 12) Pant surveys the field from the non-striker’s end, but no fielder can do anything about Suryakumar as he drops to one knee and with the tiniest flick of the wrist ramps the ball for six as Netravalkar goes around the wicket.

4th over: India 16-2 (Pant 9, Suryakumar 3) Jasdeep, bowling with a swagger, a gold chain and a patka. The umpire bends to do up Pant’s shoelaces. Four singles, Pant shows a straight bat to the last.

3rd over: India 12-2 (Pant 7, Suryakumar 1 ) This very much not going according to the Indian playbook. A timely pause allows everyone to catch their breath as Suryakumar is hit on the right thumb by the all-seeing, all dancing Netravalkar and the physio is summoned. Pumping tunes entertain the briefly deflated crowd.

Now pockets Rohit! Rohit pushes forward and gets a leading edge which is well caught by Hameet over his head and on the run.

2nd over: India 9-1 (Rohit 3, Pant 6 ) Ali-Khan from the North (I think) End. Pant tucks into a wide one with a hungry bat. A handful of singles.

1st over: India 2-1 (Rohit 1, Pant 1) Netravalkar hushes the stadium when he brushes the outside edge of Kohli’s bat with the juiciest outswinging peach from the tree.

The man who played U19 cricket for India stands at the top of his mark in a USA shirt, and has Kohli out, groping, to the second ball of the innings!

To whoops and cheers, Rohit and Virat hit New York.

A decent effort there from the USA after being 18-2 at the end of the power play – Nitish Kumar and Steven Taylor the lynchpins. Arshdeep Singh the pick of the Indian bowlers with four for nine. Time to make a quick cup of tea before India are out for the reply. Should be easy pickings but this pitch can be a capricious one.

20th over: USA 110-8 (van Schalkwyk 11) Kudos to van Schalkwyk who successfully tonks Sirah over long on for four. They squeak another three here and there and then Jasdeep is run out off the last ball.

19th over: USA 103-7 (Jaspeep 2, van Schalkwyk 4) Bumrah it is, to the delight of the India-dominated fan base who fill the stadium. A chip here, a swipe there, but they can only milk a watery three from the over. Nevertheless, the stadium announcer declares the score with huge enthusiasm which, I think, they do after every over. If you’re there, and I’m wrong, please correct me!

18th over: USA 100-7 (Jaspeep 1, van Schalkwyk 2) Brilliant from Arshdeep who finishes with four for nine, Pant runs up to pat him on the back. van Schalkwyk pinches a single to take the USA to three figures.

Immacuate by Arshdeep, who currently has four for seven. Harmeet can’t resist the pull, edges, and a somewhat surprised Pant collects like a man who has had a Sunday newspaper suddenly thrust into his hands.

17th over: USA 96-6 (Harmeet Singh 9) Hardik keeping it tight – in fact Rohit reviews the second ball which flies past the swishing bat of Harmeet and is well taken by the leaping Pant. But the replay shows ball missing bat before leaping off the shoulder. Hardik running through his repertoire, and a frustrated Anderson can’t resist going for it with gusto. India putting the breaks on successfully here.

Tied down by Hardik, Anderson swings wildly, sends the ball heavenwards and Pant scampers across, 25 metres, to collect on the run.