Guyana: India are in the Finals of the T20 World Cup, taking out England with the grit of their bat and the delight of their arm, that too with a big margin of 68 runs. This was revenge served hot, spiced up in Indian flavours. As England coach Mathew Mott said pre-match, the English tournament begins today – and it ended today too!
India now meet South Africa at the Kensington Oval on June 29. This will be two unbeaten teams of the tournament clashing for a title – one with the desperation of a never-before and the other for quenching a 17-year-old trophy thirst.
If the first innings was all about Rohit Sharma giving preference to preservation over pyrotechnics, Surya aiding a 73-run partnership in difficult circumstances and Pandya giving his usual cameo, the second innings was all about the brilliance of Axar Patel.
Indeed, Patel was an education in cricketing literacy on India’s big day, delivering a spell that was for the ages. Three wickets in three overs at a run rate of 14. And his pickings were backbone-breaking for England – three of their giants – Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali –being slayed early by a spinner sporting amazing intent.
It all started, after Arshdeep Singh became the punching bag for England, leaking runs in two overs. Patel came in early to start the hunt with his first ball wicket of England captain Butler who reversed swept a round-the-wicket delivery to go straight into the gloves of Rishabh Pant, but only after a quickfire 23.
The powerplay pickings came in successive overs and with measured beauties. Axar struck again in his second over, this time felling Jonny Bairstow for a duck with a clean bowled delivery for the textbooks.
Axar’s third was a freaky one, when Moeen Ali was stumped at 8 by Pant on a dancer by Patel which had him on his knees trying to scramble back into the crease, rather unsuccessfully. At 46-4, it looked like an error of fate, rather than a human failing for England.
He ended his magical spell with three wickets at 23 runs, getting the lion’s share in the dismantling of a foe that had niggled their pride for the last two years after England handed India a 10-wicket ouster from the T20 World Cup of 2022.
Coincidentally, the score was tantalisingly similar – India scoring 170 in the Adelaide blunder and 171 runs here.
Meanwhile, in between, it was all about Salt and pepper, with Bumrah taking an end change to disturb the Englishman’s stump and celebrate in his second over, a kill too late by his exacting standards. But a slow and low off-cutter was bang on to the stumps, bringing England to 33-2.
England’s fab four back in the pavilion, and Kuldeep sending Sam Curran to join his mates at 2, India were finally all guns blazing, not with the bat so much, but with the ball, a story that has got wings over the years.
Bringing England to 39-3 in six overs, India were one up in the powerplay slayings, topping their 46-2 with scalping delights.
The good thing was that the pickings did not end there, Kuldeep carried the baton in the next few overs, bringing England to 68-6 in 11 overs. He trapped Jordan first at one and then took out Harry Brook next at 25, the highest scorer till now, to join his teammates to revel in a Bajan daydream in the middle of the Guyanese park.
Liam Livingstone died early, running himself out after Kuldeep yanked out the bails when he gave up the chase. Next to run out of the middle was Adil Rashid at the hands of Yadav again, bringing England to 86-8, the sun setting rather conspicuously on the British empire – in 16.3 overs and Bumrah trapping Jofra Archer and ending the English ordeal in 16.3 overs at 103.