Guyana: Driven by standout performances from batter Rohit Sharma and the spin duo of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, India stormed into the T20 World Cup final with a commanding 68-run victory over England in a one-sided semifinal clash at Providence Stadium on Thursday.
India will now face South Africa in the title clash at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on Saturday.
Opting to bat first after winning the toss, India faced early challenges against England’s disciplined bowling attack, but captain Rohit Sharma’s leadership and resilience came to the forefront.
Rohit anchored the innings with a composed 57 off 39 balls, that steadied the Indian ship after the early turbulance of losing Virat Kohli. Rohit’s knock, featuring six boundaries and two sixes, set the platform for India’s competitive total of 171/7 in their allotted 20 overs.
Rohit’s partnership with Suryakumar Yadav (47 off 36) proved crucial, weathering the storm created by England’s bowlers led by Jofra Archer and Reece Topley.
In response, England’s chase faltered against Axar and Kuldeep. Axar’s crafty left-arm spin wreaked havoc as he scalped three key wickets, including those of Jos Buttler (23) and Moeen Ali (8), effectively dismantling England’s top order.
Kuldeep complemented Axar’s brilliance with his own spin wizardry, claiming three vital wickets to further derail England’s innings.
Despite a brief resistance from Harry Brook (25 off 19 balls) and Jofra Archer’s late onslaught (21 off 15 balls), England succumbed to India’s bowling prowess, folding for 103 in 16.4 overs.
Jasprit Bumrah (2/12) provided crucial breakthroughs early on, setting the stage for Axar and Kuldeep to capitalise on England’s vulnerability.
Brief scores:
India 171/7 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 57, Suryakumar Yadav 47; Jofra Archer 1/33, Chris Jordan 3/37) beat England 103 all out in 15.4 overs (Harry Brook 25, Jofra Archer 21; Axar Patel 3/23, Kuldeep Yadav 3/19) by 68 runs to reach the final of the T20 World Cup 2024.
