India 171 for 7 (Rohit 57, Suryakumar 47, Jordan 3-37) beat England 103 (Brook 25, Kuldeep 3-19, Axar 3-23) by 68 runs
India’s quest for a world title is properly on the right track. It has been 11 years since they stood on the rostrum as champions. Now all that separates them from glory is a number of hours’ time and a fiery South African crew.
Tactical battle in powerful situations
On a pitch like Guyana’s – the place the tempo was gradual and the bounce was low – runs sq. and behind the wicket come at a premium. That is as a result of if a bowling unit is disciplined sufficient to hit an excellent size and hold the stumps in play, the batter simply can not power the tempo. England deliberate to close out half of the outfield to India however they weren’t at all times profitable: 69 runs, together with eight fours and three sixes, nonetheless got here from the place they should not have, at a strike price of 192.
Rohit and threat
Inside the powerplay interval, Rohit was scoring at a strike price of 133 with pictures he was under no circumstances answerable for. For context, his general profession strike price in T20Is is 141. This has been the distinction India have been looking for. Do not simply bat ready for the unhealthy ball. Bat as if all the things is a foul ball.
Rohit finally settled. For the reason that fourth over, he was answerable for 20 of 26 balls and he used that management to nice impact, scoring 40 runs together with 4 fours and two sixes. He is accepted that threat is part of T20 cricket and there isn’t any level being averse to it.
The Rashid restoration
India’s intent manifested within the type of their batters transferring round within the crease. Even a bowler of the calibre of Adil Rashid discovered it exhausting to manage and that was a triumph as a result of these have been situations the place as a bowler all you needed to do was hit a size to focus on the highest of the stumps. The England wristspinner was 2-0-17-0. However he recovered. On the opposite facet of the second rain break, which consumed 153 minutes of this recreation’s time in complete, Rashid determined to not fear about the place Rohit and Suryakumar have been positioning themselves and as a substitute started to carry a line on off stump. His reward was the wicket of the India captain for 57 off 39. Rashid’s ultimate two overs went for under eight runs.
Spin is king
With Rashid achieved by the 14th over, India held Shivam Dube again believing that the quicks can be taking on. So Buttler discovered purpose to press Liam Livingstone to work, trusting his right-arm all-sorts even on the dying. The part-timer completed with figures of 4-0-24-0. It was signal. If he was proving to be unhittable, Axar, Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja can be as properly. India’s spin-bowling allrounders had a hand to play in getting them to 171 as properly, alongside Hardik Pandya, as they struck three sixes and two fours within the final two overs bowled by Jordan and Archer.
Field workplace Axar
Guyana is spin-friendly. The schedule, as quickly because it was introduced, recommended India would play there within the semi-final. They packed their squad with spinners. Three of them discovered place within the XI. Every of them took turns bowling jaffas.
Axar was the game-changer. He got here on instantly after Jos Buttler had whacked Arshdeep Singh for 3 fours in an over and along with his very first ball took out the most important risk. England’s captain went right down to reverse-sweep the left-arm spinner as a result of actually in these situations you could not simply sit in and play straight-bat pictures. Rohit discovered the boundary when he took that gamble earlier. Buttler solely discovered a toe-end to Pant.
Every of Axar’s first three overs had a wicket off the primary ball. Jonny Bairstow as soon as once more selecting to remain leg facet and getting bowled, and Moeen Ali’s England profession doubtlessly ending with him not sure of the place the ball had gone solely to grasp it was proper there in Pant’s hand as he broke the stumps.
Kuldeep’s redemption
England have been 49 for 4 when Kuldeep bought into the act, bamboozling Sam Curran, after which outsmarting Harry Brook. England have been the crew that took him down so exhausting he went off into white-ball wilderness after the 2019 ODI World Cup. Right here, in opposition to a batter coming after him, and with unconventional pictures besides, he did not panic. Kuldeep noticed Brook happening to reverse-sweep, so he shifted the road onto leg stump, and left him in a tangle, the flatter trajectory and the faster tempo additionally enjoying an element in ball evading the swing of the bat and crashing into the stumps behind.
As additional signal of their impending defeat, England’s final recognised batter, Livingstone, was run-out after a mix-up with the decrease order. The defending champions yielded their crown, with six of them making single-digit scores and none of them going previous 25.
Alagappan Muthu is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
