Guwahati: England defeated India with a decisive 10-wicket victory thanks to outstanding performances from openers Alex Hales and Jos Buttler in the second semi-final of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup in Australia at Adelaide on Thursday.
This sets up the final between Pakistan and England.
England’s starting pair of Jos Buttler and Alex Hales provided their team a strong start in the 169-run chase. From the beginning, both were playing hands of fours and sixes. Due to the ruthless abuse that both Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh received, India was unable to have a dominant powerplay with the ball.
The 50-run threshold was broken by England in just 4.5 overs. England stood at 63/0 after the powerplay in six overs, with Hales (33*) and Buttler (28*) on the crease.
Hales quickly reached his fifty-seven in just 28 balls.
England stood at 98/0 after 10 overs, with Hales (57*) and Buttler (37*) batting.
In 10.1 overs, England reached the 100-run milestone.
In just 36 balls, Buttler reached his half-century, which was his 19th in this format.
The England batting was unstoppable for the Men in Blue.
England had 156/0 after 15 overs, with Hales (81*) and Buttler (71*) remaining undefeated.
With Buttler (80*) and Hales (86*) both remaining undefeated, England completed their innings in 16 overs for 170/0.
Earlier on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval during the present T20 World Cup, Hardik Pandya stepped up to the plate and played a scorching half-century knock, leading India to a score of 168/6 against England.
Virat maintained the team’s innings by smashing a fifty and continuing his love affair with the Adelaide stadium. After a sluggish start, Pandya 63 (33) added the finishing touches, and a late flourish from him lifted India to a par score.
When England decided to field instead than bowl, they couldn’t have wished for a better start, as they got rid of KL Rahul in the second over after he slashed a boundary over point with the first ball of the session. The right-hander only managed to score 5 since he was unable to duplicate his last game’s heroics (5).
The tournament’s top run-scorer, Virat Kohli, stepped out to bat and immediately established his dominance by slamming a gorgeous six over the covers to Chris Woakes on the first delivery of the third over.
When Sam Curran received two straight boundaries from captain Rohit Sharma, the burden on the batter was relieved. In the sixth over, he also dismissed Adil Rashid for a boundary, bringing India to 38/1 at the end of the powerplay.
In the seventh over, India’s star hitter Virat maintained his aggressive attitude and blasted Liam Livingstone for a boundary while Rohit struggled to make contact with the ball.
The opener struck pacer Chris Jordan beautifully for a boundary over the covers, but the bowler had the final laugh since he removed him in the same over. When Rohit attempted to propel the ball into the air, he lost his balance and skied it towards midfield, where Sam Curran took a superb diving running catch to dismiss him for 27. (28).
At the halfway point of the match, India was 62/1 thanks to the talismanic Suryakumar Yadav, who was in the crease.
Ben Stokes, an all-rounder, entered the game to bowl his second over but was hit for a six and a boundary in the eleventh over.
Adil Rashid, a leg-spinner, proved to be Suryakumar’s downfall as the batsman attempted to drive him over the boundary but was only able to spoon the ball into sweeper-cover, where Philip Salt maintained his composure to take the catch and give England their biggest wicket of the evening.
The onus therefore lay on Virat and Hardik Pandya to maintain the Indian innings’ steadiness and ensure that the scoring pace did not fall.
India managed to score 10 runs from the 14th over, and things picked up after that thanks to Virat’s boundary in the same over.
India’s hundred was reached when King Kohli hit a brilliant boundary off the final ball of the 15th over. He nearly avoided being reviewed by a leg after being struck on the boots by Jordan’s excellent yorker.
The very next ball, the batsman hammered a boundary in the area of extra cover, adding insult to injury for the bowler.
With Pandya’s stunning six off Curran in the 17th over, India got off to an excellent start. To keep the scoreboard moving, Virat and Pandya sprinted hard and quickly between the wickets.
Pandya completely broke free and accelerated with two consecutive sixes off Jordan in the 18th over. Run-machine Kohli reached his fourth fifty of the competition but was dismissed in the same over by being bowled by short third man.
Pacer Sam Curran was struck by Pandya in the 19th over, when the batter tore him up for two fours and a six, helping him reach fifty off just 29 balls.
Pandya’s final over produced 12 runs, and India finished the inning with 168/6.
The best bowler was Chris Jordan, who claimed three wickets while conceding only 43 runs.
India defeats England, 168/6 (Hardik Pandya 63, Virat Kohli 50; Chris Jordan 3-43).