ICC CWC 2023: Men in Blues regain Top spot with a fantastic 100-run win over England

Under Rohit Sharma‘s captaincy, the Indian cricket team clinched their sixth consecutive league-stage victory in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. This triumph unfolded at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, and it was characterized by a low-scoring encounter that left England facing a daunting target of 230 runs. The Indian bowlers proved their mettle, making England’s quest seem insurmountable.

Mohammed Shami emerged as the hero, dismantling England’s batting lineup with his remarkable spell, yielding 2 wickets for a mere 4 runs in his three overs during the early powerplay. Jasprit Bumrah played a pivotal role as well, securing 2 wickets for 17 runs in his five-over spell.

Double-strike followed by a maiden over 🔥#TeamIndia | #CWC23 | #MenInBlue | #INDvENG https://t.co/klSi5OrlwQ pic.twitter.com/He1Kul5F4i

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 29, 2023

This relentless bowling performance limited England to a meager 40 for 4 after ten overs, as they chased down the target, hoping for only their second win in the tournament. However, Shami and Bumrah continued to wreak havoc, claiming additional wickets, and none of England’s batters could surpass Liam Livingstone‘s 27 runs. India secured an emphatic 100-run victory with a substantial 15.1 overs to spare.

While David Willey’s exuberant celebration upon dismissing Virat Kohli for a nine-ball duck suggested the threat England posed, the team has sorely missed their fiery form in the tournament. Dawid Malan, displaying a determined demeanor, smashed Mohammed Siraj for a six to open his account, following the tight bowling by Willey, Chris Woakes, and Adil Rashid. These efforts restricted India to a total of 229 for 8, with Rohit Sharma’s 87 being the standout performance in challenging batting conditions.

Caught behind ☝️

Mohd. Shami get his 3⃣rd 😎

Moeen Ali departs and England are now 81/6

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— BCCI (@BCCI) October 29, 2023

However, India’s bowlers, particularly Bumrah and Shami, dominated the latter part of the initial powerplay. Shami’s second over, a wicket maiden, featured two exceptional deliveries that had Ben Stokes struggling to defend and ultimately led to his stumps being shattered.

Bumrah’s brilliance continued with two wickets in successive balls, as he induced Joe Root to stumble and had him trapped in front. England was left reeling at 30 for 2 after five overs, facing familiar batting struggles.

Jonny Bairstow survived a scare on 13 when Kohli couldn’t hold onto a tough slip catch. However, Shami returned for his second spell in the 24th over and made an immediate impact, dismissing Moeen Ali with a well-executed delivery that induced an edge, caught brilliantly by KL Rahul behind the stumps.

Shami’s dismissal of Adil Rashid, bowled through the gate, left India needing just one wicket, which Bumrah delivered with a sensational yorker that shattered Mark Wood’s middle stump.