T20 World Cup 2024: India Secures Final Spot with Dominant 68-Run Victory over England
New Delhi: Captain Rohit Sharma scored a half-century, after which Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel dismantled England, leading India to a 68-run victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final. They will face South Africa in the final on Saturday at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.
Rohit led the charge for India, guiding them to 171/7 in 20 overs. England struggled from the start, losing half their side before reaching 50. Axar Patel got the initial breakthrough by dismissing Jos Buttler in the fourth over and continued his impressive performance by taking wickets off the first balls of his subsequent overs, removing Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali. Phil Salt was dismissed by Jasprit Bumrah in the fifth over, and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with the wicket of Sam Curran in the ninth over.
Earlier, Rohit scored 57 off 39 balls in a 73-run partnership with Suryakumar Yadav, which spanned just 50 balls. This duo had to adjust to their innings being interrupted by a rain delay of over an hour. Upon resumption, their scoring pace slowed down, but Rohit managed to reach his half-century before being dismissed by Adil Rashid in the 14th over. Suryakumar continued to accelerate, scoring 47 off 36 balls before falling to Jofra Archer in the 16th over. Contributions from Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel helped India surpass 170, with 160 typically being the par score at Providence Stadium.
Jos Buttler won the toss and opted to bowl first, putting India in to bat at Providence Stadium in Guyana. The toss was delayed by nearly an hour and a half due to intermittent rain in Georgetown. Virat Kohli’s lean run continued as he fell for just nine runs in the third over. India lost another wicket in the powerplay, with Rishabh Pant dismissed, leaving their score at 46/2. Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were starting to build momentum when rain interrupted play after the eighth over, with India’s score at 65/2 at the time of the stoppage.
India’s bowlers then took control, ensuring England never gained a foothold in their chase. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel’s excellent performances were instrumental in dismantling England’s batting lineup. England’s hopes faded quickly as wickets fell in regular intervals, preventing them from forming any substantial partnerships. This commanding win underscores India’s dominance and sets up an exciting final clash against South Africa.
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