The cricketing world watched in awe as India clinched a commanding 68-run victory over England to advance to the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in Guyana on Thursday, June 28. Captain Rohit Sharma’s stellar half-century set the stage for India, enabling them to post a formidable total of 171. India’s spin duo, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, then dismantled England’s lineup, each claiming three wickets, restricting England to a mere 103 runs.
India’s long wait to return to the T20 World Cup final, a decade in the making, finally came to an end. The victory also served as a form of sweet revenge against England, who had bested India in the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup. Now, the undefeated Indian team sets its sights on an equally dominant South African squad in the final, scheduled to be held in Bridgetown on June 29.
Weather conditions played a significant role in the match as rain caused delays and interruptions at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. England, having won the crucial toss, opted to bowl first. Early on, India found themselves in trouble, but Rohit Sharma’s composed 57 off 39 balls stabilized the innings. Suryakumar Yadav, in his usual aggressive style, contributed significantly with 47 runs, pushing India’s total to a competitive 171/7 in 20 overs.
England began their chase with a promising partnership that yielded 26 runs for the opening wicket. However, India’s spin maestros, Axar and Kuldeep, exploited the damp conditions to perfection, routing the defending champions for 103 in just 16.4 overs. This performance etched India’s victory with the accolade of the second-biggest win by a margin of runs in T20 World Cup knockout history, marking them as favorites heading into the final.
Despite India’s comprehensive win, not all batsmen found form. Star player Virat Kohli’s struggles continued as he recorded another single-digit score, falling to Reece Topley early in the powerplay.
. Rishabh Pant also failed to make an impact. However, the pivotal partnership between Rohit and Suryakumar laid a robust foundation for India’s innings.
The Indian innings faced a slight hiccup as both set batsmen, Rohit and Suryakumar, were dismissed in quick succession. Nevertheless, a swift 23-run cameo from Hardik Pandya in the death overs proved essential in inching India towards their final total. Chris Jordan was England’s standout bowler, claiming three wickets in the late overs and preventing India from posting an even larger score as batting conditions worsened.
England’s response was initially strong, with their skipper Jos Buttler striking three consecutive boundaries off Arshdeep Singh in the third over, applying early pressure during the powerplay. However, Axar Patel turned the game on its head by removing Buttler with his very first delivery. What followed was a dramatic collapse for England, as their middle and lower order crumbled under relentless pressure from the Indian spinners.
Harry Brook offered some resistance with a 25-run effort, but it was insufficient as Axar and Kuldeep maintained a stranglehold on the match, consistently taking crucial wickets. Jasprit Bumrah’s clinical bowling performance sealed the fate of England as he dismissed Chris Jordan in the 17th over, completing his spell with a remarkable two for 12. Axar Patel earned the Player of the Match accolade for his exceptional figures of three for 23, capping off a memorable day for Indian cricket.
India’s playing XI for the semi-final included Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (w), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Jasprit Bumrah. In contrast, England lined up with Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (w/c), Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, and Reece Topley.
As the Indian team moves forward towards the highly-anticipated final against South Africa, confidence runs high. Both teams have been unbeaten throughout the tournament, setting the stage for an electrifying finale in Bridgetown. Cricket fans around the world eagerly await what promises to be a thrilling conclusion to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024.
