No defending champion has ever advanced to the successive T20 World Cup final, and India ensured that tradition continued with a commanding 68-run victory over England at Guyana’s Providence Stadium. They will now compete against co-finalists South Africa, the only unbeaten team in this edition, in Barbados for a place in history.
India faced a daunting task when assigned to bat first in the big semifinal, losing five out of five ICC competitions since 2021. However, solid performances by Rohit Sharma (57) and Suryakumar Yadav (47), as well as three wickets for Axar Patel with the new ball, ensured that India were too strong for England on the day.
Where was the semifinal won?
During the first innings. Jos Buttler believed England allowed India to score “20-25 runs too many”. Despite England’s theatrical 101 all out, India had the game wrapped up when they put 171 on the board, challenging the opposition to chase the highest-ever mark in a day game in Guyana.
The pitch became slower and lower, as Rohit Sharma predicted, and in retrospect, it was an excellent toss to lose. Butler chose to chase despite the wet forecast, but the decision came with the risk of batting second on a surface slowing by the minute. And England’s worst worries came true, with their troubles amplified in circumstances ideal for India’s slow bowlers.
INDIA
Power Play: Rohit maintains India's lead
After the scars of Adelaide 2022, India was going to stay strong, even if the conditions in Guyana were slow, low, and highly different. The intent was clear in Rohit’s first boundary, a streaky leading edge over short third man, but the India captain persevered, even if it meant smashing one through Phil Salt’s hands at point.
Conversely, Virat Kohli looked far less convincing early on while attempting to play the power game and fell after scoring run-a-ball 9, dropping his average this season to a poor 10.71, a long cry from his IPL form. Rishabh Pant wasn’t the answer on the day, falling at mid-wicket in Sam Curran’s first over. Still, Rohit’s four boundaries kept India within striking distance of the par total, albeit in conditions where the oddball stayed below the shin.
Middle Overs: The Rohit-Suryakumar Show
India has been the fastest-scoring team in the middle overs this season, and they have once again performed admirably, scoring eight runs per over in this phase. The run-rate was reduced to a spectacular 73-run partnership between Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav on each side of a 75-minute rain delay, with the duo going hard at anything loose and maintaining the tempo despite the lengthy pause in play.
Curran was punished in his second over, giving 19 runs, including sixes from both set batsmen. Rohit, in particular, was aggressive against Adil Rashid and eventually lost his wicket to the legspinner when a googly stayed low, but not before leading India through the problematic middle overs against the older ball.
Death overs: Jordan impedes India's charge
How many will be sufficient on this pitch? With that question in mind, India headed into the final batting lap, but the solutions proved challenging. Suryakumar was beautifully caught in the deep by Chris Jordan eleven balls after Rohit was dismissed, mistiming a back-of-the-hand slower ball from Jofra Archer, forcing Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja, who had stepped out to bat ahead of Shivam Dube, to forge a comeback.
Pandya then broke the shackles with back-to-back flat sixes against Jordan, but he fell while attempting to make it three out of three. When Dube fell for a golden duck in the opening over, it was up to Axar and Jadeja to guide India in the last seconds, and they did an outstanding job, scoring as many as 24 runs in the previous two overs.
ENGLAND
Power Play: Axar across England
Axar Patel didn’t bowl in whites, Ahmedabad, or with the pink ball, but he was still a nuisance for England. Given the ball in the PowerPlay, the left-arm spinner tricked Jos Buttler on the reverse sweep with his first ball, delivering India’s most significant breakthrough of the match. Jonny Bairstow was bowled by Axar’s next delivery, which skidded low. And in between these two wickets was a Jasprit Bumrah masterpiece. He bowls a quick off-break, which finds its way through Phil Salt this time.
Middle overs: England succumbs to spin
If Axar’s deliveries weren’t enough of a signal, Kuldeep Yadav delivered a massive blow in his opening over to foreshadow what was to come. Lots of spin, uneven bounce, and no pace off the ground contributed to England’s defeat against the old ball. Axar once again bookended this phase of play, first stumping Moeen Ali down the legside and then running out Jofra Archer. But in the middle, Kuldeep played the protagonist. Curran and Jordan were caught lbw, but Harry Brook was the highlight of his three wickets as he attempted back-to-back reverse sweeps against the spinner and lost his leg stump.
Death overs: India finishes with 20 balls to spare
By the time both sides reached this round of the game, India was counting down to victory. Suryakumar’s run-out of Rashid and Bumrah’s lbw of Archer lifted England out of their agony and propelled India to another ICC final, their first at a T20 World Cup in ten years.
