Alex Hales and Jos Buttler recorded an unbeaten 170 to help England beat India by 10 wickets in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Adelaide on Thursday.
Alex Hales and Jos Buttler make India fall in love
England’s opening duo put on a great show in Adelaide as they played it against the Indian bowlers from the start of their innings. It was Hales, who crushed the Indian pitchers early in the innings when Buttler played second fiddle. But the English captain joined in the second half of the innings, as soon as England took control of the game.
Their partnership helped England chase 169 with all 10 wickets and 24 balls left. Hales remained undefeated with 86 in just 47 deliveries, while Buttler scored 80* in 49 deliveries.
Hardik Pandya’s outstanding strike helps India achieve a competitive total
Earlier, India had a rough start to their innings as they lost ground early to KL Rahul. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma tried to form a partnership, but some tight bowling balls from the English bowlers prevented them from scoring at a fast pace.
Rohit went away for 27 of 28 pitches in the ninth over of the innings, while Suryakumar Yadav also died early for 14. But Kohli and Pandya stayed and deepened the game. Kohli was just sacked after scoring his fiftieth in the 18th, but Pandya went ahead and launched an attack to take India from its 20 overs to a competitive score of 168/6. Pandya’s efforts helped India add 68 runs in the last five overs, 54 of which came from Pandya’s bat.
What’s next?
England’s big win over India helped them set up a T20 World Cup final clash against Pakistan. Both teams finished second in their respective groups in the Super 12 and their chances of securing a place in the semi-finals at some point seemed highly unlikely. But both sides made an excellent comeback, not only to reach the semi-finals but also to reach the final. The two teams last met in a World Cup final in 1992, which was won by Pakistan. England will now try to set the record straight by lifting the trophy at the iconic MCG in Melbourne.
Pandya reaches a scorching half-century with four lucky ones | T20 World Cup 2022
Hardik Pandya reaches the half-century with lucky four as Ben Stokes slides into the deep end.
Fast pitcher Mark Wood (hip) and key hitter Dawid Malan (groin) were excluded from the draft, with veteran closer Chris Jordan and first-order hitter Phil Salt as their replacements.
Wood’s loss in particular was a blow to England, as the pacemaker had already won nine wickets in the T20 World Cup and regularly reached speeds of over 150 km/h.
India loses second place after Rohit Sharma defeated England’s Chris Jordan in the semi-finals of the 2022 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
His place in the XI was taken by Jordan, who is a veteran of 82 T20Is and last played for England in their series against Australia just before the start of the T20 World Cup.
Salt did not play in those same series, as the 26-year-old’s last game for England was during their seven-game series in Pakistan in early October.
Jos Buttler’s Verdict
[Is that the perfect match?] That’s what it feels like, against such a good team. We always want to start with the bat as soon as possible and be aggressive. A long batting line-up gives you a lot of freedom. Alex was bowling so hard today. We complement each other well and today was fantastic. We will rejoice in this victory, but we know there is a big dance ahead.
Rohit Sharma’s Verdict
It’s quite disappointing. I thought we hit pretty well in the back, but we weren’t good enough with the ball. We just didn’t show up.
It’s about dealing with the pressure [in the knockout phase]. We’ve played enough IPL cricket to understand that. The way we started with the ball wasn’t ideal, showing that we were a little nervous. You also have to give credit to those starters; They played well.
The new ball swung around a bit for Bhuvi, but not from the right areas. We wanted to keep it tight on the stumps. That’s a bit disappointing. If you don’t carry out your plans, you’ll be in trouble.
Adil Rashid’s Verdict
The thoughts of Adil Rashid, who bowled beautifully and took the wicket from Suryakumar Yadav
Good looking. One more game and hopefully we’ll be there. I think we bowled exceptionally well – we were happy chasing 169. There was a little twist. You have to get used to being able to bowl in the first Powerplay, I’ve practiced it to be ready when the captain needs me.
[The starters] played brilliantly. When they are in that form, no one can stop them. There was no focus, just: ‘Guys, go do your thing.’ The work isn’t done yet. One more game as we play and hopefully we will cross the line.
The man of the match is Alex Hales.
It’s a great opportunity, India in a T20 World Cup semi-final, and I’m really happy with the way I’ve played, it’s as special as it sounds. This is one of the best fields in the world to hit, especially in Powerplay.
I never thought I would play in a World Cup again, so to have the chance, in a country I love, is very special.
