Rohit Sharma was left with an overwhelming sense of relief after India staved off a spirited United States to reach the Super 8s at the T20 World Cup. (More Cricket News)
Rahul Dravid's white-ball side progressed through the group stages with a game to spare after Wednesday's seven-wicket victory over the co-hosts in New York.
Having already overcome struggling Ireland and fierce rivals Pakistan, a third straight win in Group A was enough to send India through as Rohit's team prepare for the latter stages of the tournament.
Suryakumar Yadav's unbeaten half-century proved the difference against the USA, helping his country chase down a 111-run target with 10 balls remaining.
It could have been a different story, however, as India lost Rohit (three) and Virat Kohli to a golden duck in the start to their chase.
That stark warning left a lasting imprint on Rohit's memory as the India captain credited the battling USA showing.
"We knew it was going to be a tough task, scoring that many," Rohit said at his post-match interview. "Credit to us for chasing it down.
"SKY and [Shivam] Dube did well in the end. We knew our bowlers had to take the lead as scoring is tough on this pitch.
"Arshdeep [Singh] started off magnificently. We want options with us. As and when we feel like we could use them, we should be and that's what Dube allowed.
"Being in the Super 8s is a big relief. Playing here wasn't easy, it could've been anyone's game."
USA still have a chance of progressing to the next round after back-to-back victories over Canada and Pakistan.
"The boys were disciplined today, pleased that the game got close," USA captain Aaron Jones said. "We've wanted fans, talked about it for a couple of years.
"We'll come hard against Ireland for sure."
