India is set to clash with South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup after a commanding 68-run victory over England at Providence Stadium, Guyana. This will be India’s first final in a decade, following their last final appearance in 2014 where they lost to Sri Lanka.
The Indian spinners turned the tide against England, overcoming the memories of their 2022 defeat. England, the defending champions, faced a formidable challenge against an unbeaten Indian side.
Despite a strong start from England’s captain Jos Buttler and Philip Salt, Arshdeep Singh managed to keep things tight after the first over. Buttler initially found success against Arshdeep but was soon dismissed by Axar Patel, who bowled a spinner instead of his usual skidding delivery, leading to Buttler’s downfall.
Jasprit Bumrah then capitalized on the opening, dismissing Salt with a perfect slower off-cutter. Axar Patel continued his impressive performance, removing Jonny Bairstow and catching Moeen Ali off guard. Kuldeep Yadav added to the pressure by taking crucial wickets, including those of Sam Curran, Harry Brook, and Chris Jordan.
Despite losing Quinton de Kock early, Reeza Hendricks and captain Aiden Markram led India to a comfortable chase, securing their spot in the final.
India’s innings was marked by contributions from Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, who played crucial cameos. Rohit Sharma set an aggressive tone from the start, but it was the tail-end efforts of Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja that pushed India to a competitive total of 171/7.
England’s response was cut short at 103, with standout performances from Axar Patel (3-23) and Kuldeep Yadav (3-19) leading India to victory.
The Indian team will now prepare to face South Africa in the final, with the winner of the India-England semi-final determining the last spot in the championship match.
Brief Score:
India 171/7 (Rohit Sharma 57, Suryakumar Yadav 47; Chris Jordan 3-37)
England 103 (Harry Brook 25, Jos Buttler 23; Axar Patel 3-23, Kuldeep Yadav 3-19).
