Rohit and Suryakumar set it up with a 73-run stand before India’s bowlers come to the party on a helpful surface
For a showpiece T20 World Cup semi-final involving two top teams, the setting wasn’t ideal. Rain and a damp outfield at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday led to a stop-start affair, and when the dark clouds cleared belatedly, a less-than-suitable pitch for batting didn’t make for a conventional T20 contest.
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But India won’t care. They thoroughly outplayed England to book their place in the T20 World Cup final for a third time, their first in ten years. They will face South Africa in Barbados in Saturday’s summit clash. If this was an opportunity to exorcise the ghosts of Adelaide 2022 when India lost to England by 10 wickets, they seized it by claiming a 68-run win.
On a surface where it was quickly apparent that batting wasn’t straightforward, India did very well to make 171/7 after being sent in by England captain Jos Buttler. The credit for the batting effort should go to Rohit Sharma (57) and Suryakumar Yadav (47), who stitched together a 73-run stand in 50 balls for the third wicket.
With the ball, India’s attack was in control pretty much all the way through. Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav claimed three wickets apiece. When play began at 11:45 am local time, Rohit, fresh off a breathtaking 92 against Australia, knew that he couldn’t hit through the line like he did in Gros Islet on Monday.
But he was still able to keep the scoreboard ticking. Virat Kohli also seemed to get going in the third over when he whipped a length ball by Reece Topley over midwicket for six. Just two balls later though, Kohli was heading back to the dugout after making 9.
Rishabh Pant came and went too. The delivery from Sam Curran seemed to be innocuous, but the wicketkeeper-batter didn’t get the desired elevation on his shot and picked out Jonny Bairstow at midwicket. With India on 46/2 after six overs, Buttler introduced Adil Rashid into the attack. Rohit greeted the leggie with a reverse sweep for four and then pulled out the conventional sweep to make it a nine-run over.
Suryakumar was also quick to get going. Off his second ball, he punched Curran down the ground for his first four. Then, in the eighth over, Chris Jordan was at the receiving end as Suryakumar’s patented scoop over fine leg carried beyond the boundary. That is when the rain again intervened, halting the momentum that India had at 65/2 after eight overs.
On resumption, Buttler chose to use his spinners — Rashid and Liam Livingstone — to try and squeeze in a few quiet overs. There was turn available, but a full toss on leg stump by Rashid was gleefully swept by Suryakumar through fine leg for four. When Livingstone erred with a full-length ball, Rohit stepped out and cleared long-on for a six.
Curran was brought back but went for 19 runs in an over that saw Rohit bring up his half-century in style with a six. Rohit’s end came soon after, attempting a heave through the leg side off a googly by Rashid that turned and hit the stumps. Rohit wouldn’t have minded the manner of dismissal, for it hinted at the assistance that his three-pronged spin attack would also get.
What wasn’t ideal from India’s perspective was Suryakumar holing out to Jordan at long-on off Jofra Archer in the 16th over. Having made 47, Suryakumar attempted to connect down the ground, not realising that the England pacer had deceived him with a slower ball.
In response, Buttler hit four quick boundaries, but India were in the driving seat once they claimed three wickets in the space of two overs. It was Buttler’s wicket that triggered England’s slide. It wasn’t a smart ploy for Buttler to attempt a reverse sweep off Axar’s first delivery, and he paid the price as the ball took the toe end of his bat and lobbed to Pant.
Phil Salt was next to go, succumbing to a masterful off-cutter by Jasprit Bumrah. Bairstow, Moeen Ali and Curran were dismissed cheaply too, clueless as they were against India’s spinners. It was a procession of wickets thereafter as England folded for 103.
