Mumbai:Sanju Samson was once again the star as defending champions India defeated England by 7 runs here on Thursday to slide into the final of the T20 World Cup. They will play New Zealand for the title in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
The Wankhede Stadium went wild as centurion Jacob Bethell (105) was run out on the first ball of the final over bowled by seamer Shivam Dube, off which England needed 30. Three sixes on the last three legitimate deliveries did not matter as England put up a late fight to manage 246 for 7 while chasing India’s 253 for7, the fourth highest total in a T20 World Cup.
Opener Samson anchored the Indian innings yet again, scoring a whirlwind 89 that came off just 42 balls and included eight boundaries and seven sixes; Axar Patel was brilliant in the field, taking two breathtaking catches and masterminding a third that helped India grip the game while spearhead Jasprit Bumrah fired the ball consistently in the blockhole to bottle up English batters.
England were never quite in the game, barring a 77-run stand for the fifth wicket between Bethell and Will Jacks (35).
Earlier, India’s humongous total was built by cracking knocks down the order after opener Abhishek Sharma disappointed again with a 7-ball 9.
Samson led the charge. He picked up from where he left against the West Indies at Eden Gardens, slamming England quick Jofra Archer for a boundary and a six in the very first over. The 31-year-old was fortunate to survive in the third over bowled by Archer though as captain Harry Brook dropped an easy catch at mid-on. India were 24 for 1 and the batter on 15 then. Samson rubbed it in with a boundary and a six in the same over.
Boundaries kept flowing from the blades of Samson and Ishan Kishan as India raced to 67 for 1 at the end of Powerplay. Very soon, the team 100 came up in the ninth over, in which Samson and Ishan rattled 20 runs. However, the latter fell in the next over, holing Adil Rashid to Will Jacks at long-off after making a quick 39 that included four boundaries and two sixes. That also ended a 97-run stand for the second wicket and put India on course for a mountain of runs.
Next man Dube kept the scoreboard moving. He used the long handle to send the ball soaring out of the ground, four times, before being run out after a misunderstanding with Pandya towards the end. His 25-ball 43 accelerated the Indian total. Pandya himself was run out, on the penultimate ball, after making 27 in 12 balls, slamming three boundaries and two sixes. In between, Tilak Varma teed off, whacking three maximums in his 7-ball 21 before being castled by Archer. Surya couldn’t quite settle down and departed, stumped by Jos Buttler off Rashid after contributing 11, hitting a six along the way.
Will Jacks and Adil Rashid got two wickets apiece for England while Curran mixed it up well, disguising slower ones and blasting bouncers occasionally to baffle batsmen. He eventually went wicketless for 53 runs though.
Earlier, England won the toss and decided to field first as Brook called ‘tails’ right. They lost their heads after that.
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