India vs England, Semi final 2, T20 world Cup, 2024
After a decade, Team India has made it to the finals of the T20 World Cup. Under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, the team secured a decisive 68-run victory against England in the second semi-final at Providence Stadium, Guyana, on Thursday. The victory against England, the 2007 champions, paves the way for a final showdown with South Africa, who convincingly defeated Afghanistan by 9 wickets in the first semi-final. In the match at Guyana, pivotal innings from Rohit Sharma and Surya Kumar Yadav helped India set a challenging score of 171 for 7 in their allotted 20 overs, following England’s decision to bowl first. Initially struggling at 40 for 2 in 5.2 overs, the partnership of Rohit and Surya Kumar added a crucial 73 runs, rescuing their team from a precarious position. Rohit scored 57 from 39 balls, and Surya Kumar contributed 47 from 36 balls. In the subsequent innings, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav were instrumental in stifling England’s response, taking three wickets each and limiting England to 101 all out.
This achievement marks Rohit Sharma as the first Indian captain to lead the team in three ICC global finals within a year—the 2023 World Test Championship, the 2023 ODI World Cup, and now the T20 World Cup.
Reflecting on the previous year’s semi-final, where India was defeated by England by 10 wickets in Adelaide after being restricted to a similar score, the conditions at Providence Stadium this year posed additional challenges for batting.
Toss:
England’s captain, Jos Buttler, chose to field first in this crucial semi-final match.
Teams Line Up:
India:
Rohit Sharma (capt), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah.
England:
Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk/capt), Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley.
Key Moments-
INDIA
Power Play:
Despite the challenging pitch conditions in Guyana, Rohit Sharma’s aggressive play kept India competitive. He scored quickly, including a fortuitous boundary over short third man. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli struggled, scoring only 9 runs off as many balls, and Rishabh Pant also fell early. However, Rohit’s four boundaries ensured India stayed on track.
Middle Overs:
The partnership between Rohit and Surya Kumar was the highlight, with India accelerating to score at 8 runs per over despite a rain interruption. Their aggressive batting included several boundaries and sixes, though Rohit eventually fell to Adil Rashid.
Death Overs:
The final overs saw India trying to maximize their score, with Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer managing to restrict them somewhat. However, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja added valuable runs towards the end, setting a challenging target for England.
ENGLAND:
Power Play:
Axar Patel made an immediate impact, taking key wickets, including that of Jos Buttler and Jonny Bairstow , and was well-supported by Jasprit Bumrah.
Middle Overs:
England struggled against the spin of Kuldeep Yadav, who took crucial wickets, including a double strike in one over.
Death Overs:
India quickly wrapped up the innings, securing their spot in the final with a comprehensive win.
Brief Scores:
India 171/7 (Rohit 57, Suryakumar 47; Jordan 3-37) defeated England 101 all out (Brook 25; Kuldeep 3-19, Axar 3-23, Bumrah 2-12) by 68 runs.