[[{“value”:”
In what turned out to be a thrilling contest in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup, Indian cricket fans held their nerve until the final over when England needed 30 runs to win. However, Jacob Bethell, who spearheaded the chase with a brilliant 105 off just 48 deliveries, was run out on the second ball of the over, effectively ending England’s hopes. India eventually sealed a seven-run victory to book their place in the final.
Sanju Samson’s blistering 89 off 42 had powered India to 253/7 in 20 overs. England fought hard in the chase but fell just short, finishing at 246/7. India will take on New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The Match
The thrill of a semifinal was palpable at the Wankhede Stadium as England, at one point, needed just 45 runs from the final three overs. Bethell kept England in the hunt despite the loss of five wickets, anchoring the innings brilliantly. At that time, he was on 94 off 42 balls.
Jos Buttler showed glimpses of form in Mumbai, though a lack of confidence was evident in his approach. The England keeper scored 25 off 17 balls, hitting four fours and a six, but struggled at times against the Indian bowlers. Opener Phil Salt and No 3 Harry Brook were dismissed early. Tom Banton then injected some momentum with a brisk 17 off just five balls, while Will Jacks contributed 35 off 20. Sam Curran gave Bethell good company, but got dismissed for 18 off 14.
For India, Varun Chakaravarthy was the most expensive bowler, conceding 64 runs in his four overs at an economy rate of 16. The rest of the bowlers picked up one wicket each. Hardik Pandya’s opening spell troubled the England batters, while Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel tried to stem the flow of runs, though Bethell continued to counterattack.
Earlier, Sanju Samson’s power-packed 42-ball 89 set the tone for a solid batting display from the hosts. Shivam Dube made 43 off 25 after Ishan Kishan’s 18-ball 39. Spinners Adil Rashid and Will Jacks bagged two wickets each. Sanju gave India a solid start against his nemesis Jofra Archer with a four and a six in the first over. But England got the first wicket through Will Jacks in the second over as the spinner removed Abhishek Sharma 9 (7). Sanju got a reprieve in the second over from Archer as Brook dropped a sitter at mid-on. Sanju mistimed a full delivery, but survived and made England pay for it.
India made 67/1 in the powerplay (6 overs). Sanju lifted Liam Dawson over extra over for a six to get to fifty off just 26 balls. The Samson bandwagon kept motoring on, cutting, pulling, lifting at will. He could have taken a breather to reach his ton, but the selfless superstar played aggressively for the team and was dismissed by Jacks. Dube took control after Sanju’s wicket and steadied India for a big finish.
Toss
England captain Harry Brook won the toss and opted to bowl. India were unchanged from their Sanju Samson-inspired win against the West Indies. England had included Jamie Overton in place of Rehan Ahmed.
The background
Cricketers past and present assembled in South Mumbai on Thursday to celebrate the wedding of Sachin Tendulkar’s son, Arjun, and Saaniya Chandhok. Among them was Gautam Gambhir. It was one of the rare occasions the usually serious-looking head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team was seen smiling.
Thanks to Sachin for putting a smile on the face of his former teammate, with whom he lifted the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup.
India’s opponents in the final had crushed South Africa by nine wickets on Wednesday, with Finn Allen smashing an unbeaten 33-ball 100 at the Eden Gardens.
India and England had played a semifinal of the T20 World Cup for the third edition in a row. England won the 2022 clash in Adelaide by 10 wickets before marching on to lift the title. India avenged the loss in the 2024 edition with a 68-run win in Providence before their triumph in the final.
Both England and India had lost a match this edition, but found noteworthy performances at each juncture to get through. Sanju Samson scored a memorable 97 not out in a virtual quarterfinal clash with the West Indies, while skipper Harry Brook’s century in a two-wicket win over Pakistan in another Super Eights match was one of the special moments from England in this edition.
“}]] 