India crushes England by 68 Runs, Marches into T20 World Cup 2024 Final
India crushed their rivals England by a massive 68 runs in the second semi-final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, played at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on June 27th. This win sets up a mouthwatering final clash against South Africa, who had earlier defeated Afghanistan in the first semi-final.
Electing to bat first after winning the toss, India posted a competitive total of 171 runs on the board for the loss of 7 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Openers Rohit Sharma (57) and Virat Kohli (9) provided a solid start, with both batsmen scoring at a healthy run rate. After Kohli’s dismissal, wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant (46) and the in-form Suryakumar Yadav (47) continued the momentum with some aggressive batting. All-rounder Hardik Pandya (23) and Ravindra Jadeja (17) chipped in with valuable contributions in the middle overs. Axar Patel, batting at number eight, surprised everyone with a quickfire 10 runs off just 6 balls before being dismissed.
Also Read: T20 World Cup 2024: Michael Vaughan says ‘Tournament is set up for India’
England’s bowling attack, despite having some big names, failed to impress. None of the bowlers were particularly economical, with Chris Jordan (3/37) being the only one to take multiple wickets. The likes of Jofra Archer (1/33) and Reece Topley (1/25) were decent but couldn’t contain the flow of runs.
Coming onto bowl, India’s spin duo of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav completely choked the run flow for England. Patel, adjudged the Player of the Match for his all-round performance, picked up crucial wickets at regular intervals, finishing with figures of 3 wickets for just 23 runs in his 4 overs. Kuldeep Yadav (3/19) was equally impressive, taking wickets at crucial junctures and derailing England’s chase.
Chasing a target of 172 runs in 20 overs was always going to be a tough ask for England, and their batting performance did little to inspire confidence. Openers Phil Salt (58) and Jos Buttler (23) provided a decent start, but the dismissal of Buttler in the fourth over triggered a collapse. Moeen Ali (8) and Jonny Bairstow (0) fell cheaply, leaving England in a precarious position at 35 for 4 after just 5.1 overs.
From thereon, it was a procession of wickets for India. The spin duo of Patel and Yadav continued to weave their magic, while Jasprit Bumrah (2/12) and Arshdeep Singh (1/8) chipped in with crucial wickets at the death. England’s batsmen simply couldn’t handle the pressure and were bundled out for a paltry 103 runs in 16.4 overs, handing India a comprehensive victory.
This win marks a remarkable turnaround for India, who were humiliated by England in the semi-final of the 2022 T20 World Cup. They have been dominant throughout the tournament, topping their group stage and the Super 8 convincingly. Now, they face a formidable opponent in South Africa in the final, who themselves have been in red-hot form.
