In a match that went down the wire in which as many as 34 sixes were hit and almost 500 runs were scored, India came out trumps by just 7 runs defeating England in the semifinal and booking a final clash against New Zealand that will be played in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Chasing a formidable 254-run target at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, England were in the hunt till end thanks to Jacob Bethell, who smashed a brilliant 48-ball 105 in a knock that was studded with 7 sixes and 8 fours. But lack of big contributions from other batters proved to be the reason for England’s downfall, as India reached their successive T20 World Cup final.
England finished at 246/7 in their 20 overs with Hardik Pandya taking 2 wickets. Axar Patel took two outstanding catches in the deep as England went down fighting till the end.
England needed 30 runs off the last over and captain Suryakumar Yadav threw the ball to Shivam Dube for his first over of the match.
Jacob Bethell was run out on the first ball of the last over, before Jofra Archer slammed 3 sixes in the last over but that wasn’t enough for England to get over the line.
Earlier, Sanju Samson laid the platform with a scintillating 89 off 42 balls as India piled up a massive 253/7.
The in-form opener, who scored 97 not out against the West Indies in the previous game, thrilled a boisterous Wankhede crowd with 7 sixes and 8 fours. Harry Brook’s team needed a T20 World Cup record chase of 254 to advance to the final as the hosts destroyed England’s attack with 19 sixes and 18 fours in all.
After Brook won the toss and chose to bowl, Samson showed his intentions with a four and a six off Jofra Archer’s opening over.
Will Jacks gave England the first breakthrough when Abhishek Sharma (9) hoisted the off-spinner to Phil Salt at deep midwicket in the second over.
Samson got a life on 15 when Brook missed a straightforward chance at mid-off off Archer. It turned out to be a costly error since Liam Dawson’s first over was hammered for 19 runs as Samson quickly reached his half-century off 26 balls with another massive six thanks to some careless bowling.
Before the left-hander holed out to Jacks off Adil Rashid in the tenth over to make it 117/2, Ishan Kishan put up 97 from 48 balls with Samson for the second wicket. Samson persisted until Jacks came back and Salt got him in the deep in the 14th over, putting India at 160/3.
Before being run out by Brook’s direct hit, Shivam Dube resumed the assault with 43 off 25 balls with four sixes. India crossed the 250-run mark thanks to late hits from Hardik Pandya (27 off 12 balls) and Tilak Varma (21 off 7 balls).
With 2/40, Jacks was the best bowler from England, but Archer conceded 61 runs off his four overs while taking just one wicket.
