India secured a decisive 68-run victory over defending champions England to reach the final of the Twenty20 World Cup.
India will now face South Africa on Saturday at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, in a battle of the tournament’s two unbeaten teams.
Captain Rohit Sharma’s second half-century of the tournament, scoring 57 runs, helped India compile a formidable total of 171-7. Suryakumar Yadav also contributed significantly with a vital knock of 47 off 36 balls, especially after more than two-and-a-half hours of the second semi-final were lost due to rain and a wet outfield.
Indian spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav combined for an impressive 6-42, exploiting sharp turn to bowl out England for 103 in 16.3 overs on a skiddy, low pitch devoid of grass.
Gun spinners
“If bowlers and batters adapt, things fall in place,” a beaming Sharma said. “Axar and Kuldeep are gun spinners. Tough to play shots against them in these conditions, they were calm under pressure.”
England captain Jos Buttler provided a brief spark with four boundaries in his 23 off 15 balls. However, his top-edged reverse sweep off Patel’s first ball in the Power Play resulted in a simple catch for wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant, setting the tone for regular wickets.
“I’ve bowled in the Power Play in the past many times,” Patel said after being named player of the semi-final. “Knew the wicket was assisting and didn’t try too many things.”
England’s batting collapse was epitomized by the run outs of Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid, leaving them at 88-9. Jofra Archer briefly resisted with 21 off 15 balls before Jasprit Bumrah (2-12) finished off the innings by trapping Archer leg before wicket.
Sweet revenge for India
The win was sweet revenge for India, who were hammered by England by 10 wickets in the 2022 World Cup semi-final in Adelaide, Australia. “India outplayed us,” Buttler conceded. “We let them get 20-25 runs too many on a challenging surface … they had an above-par total and it was always a tough chase.”
Earlier in the match, Sharma and Yadav’s 73-run partnership for the third wicket was pivotal on a pitch where batters struggled with variable bounce and pace. Virat Kohli’s below-par tournament continued as he scored a run-a-ball nine before being bowled by Reece Topley.
“We understand his (Kohli’s) class,” Sharma defended. “Form is never a problem when you’ve played for 15 years, probably saving for the final.”
Sharma continued his sublime form, reaching his 50 with a swept six off Sam Curran. Yadav also found his rhythm, hitting a six off Curran before both were dismissed in successive overs. Sharma was bowled by a googly from Adil Rashid, while Yadav was deceived by Archer’s slower ball.
Chris Jordan picked up 3-37, including the wickets of Hardik Pandya (23) and Shivam Dube off successive balls, but India had already piled up enough runs for their spinners to defend successfully.
