England's lacklustre Twenty20 World Cup campaign ended in a decisive semi-final defeat to India, highlighting the urgent need for changes within the team.
After losing three out of four matches against top-ranked opponents, England’s long journey home from South America reveals more about their current standing as a team than their semi-final appearance. The heavy loss to India simplifies decision-making for Rob Key, the director of cricket, regarding the futures of Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott.
Decline and Future Uncertainty
England's performance only briefly shone against the West Indies, while the rest of their games were marked by comfortable losses to Test-playing nations or easy wins against associate teams. This disappointing World Cup defence, following a poor campaign in India last October, indicates that the white-ball team is in decline and in need of rejuvenation. However, there are significant doubts about Buttler and Mott's ability to chart a future vision. A major overhaul seems necessary.
A fatigued Buttler plans to take a break until the Hundred tournament and await the review of England’s performance before making any decisions about his future. He noted that after such a loss, it is important to take some time to review and plan for the future, considering the team’s style of play and personnel. The loss on a challenging pitch in Guyana was not unexpected, as throughout the month-long Caribbean tour, many senior England players struggled under pressure.
England's Tactical Errors
The semi-final ended in a complete mismatch, with England bowled out for 103 in 16.4 overs, losing by 68 runs. Harry Brook was the top scorer with 25, while veterans Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali managed only eight runs between them, likely playing their final innings for England. Two run-outs added to the disarray.
Buttler, England's main hope, scored 23 before being dismissed in the fourth over while attempting a reverse sweep off Axar Patel’s first ball. Buttler had only one standout performance during the World Cup, against the United States, where he hit several sixes against part-time bowlers. As in India six months prior, he failed to lead effectively when needed. Another tactical error was not bowling Moeen on a spinning pitch and opting to bowl first on a surface that slowed down and became more difficult for batting.
Brook showcased his talent, suggesting he should have batted higher than number five, but no specialist batsman hit a six. A few swings from Jofra Archer lifted England's score above 100, avoiding total humiliation.
India’s performance was exceptional. Spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav took six wickets for 42 runs in eight overs, reminiscent of their dominance in the Test series in March, while Jasprit Bumrah’s two for 12 finished off the rest. Rohit Sharma’s 57 and Suryakumar Yadav’s intelligent 47, including the only 50-run partnership of the game, set a challenging target of 172, which was about 20 runs above par.
India benefited from morning start times and early knowledge of the semi-final location in Guyana, a place rarely visited by top teams these days. Despite these advantages, India’s skill ensured they reached the final, having won all seven matches and only being closely contested once. South Africa, in their first World Cup final on Saturday, will face a formidable challenge.
India's higher-than-par score was particularly impressive given the low, sticky pitch that made batting difficult. England needed to be flawless but made a crucial mistake in the second over when Phil Salt missed a catch off Rohit Sharma. Even Sharma struggled to time the ball on this surface, indicating how tough it was to score runs. England’s power play saw two wickets for 46 runs, and Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone bowled economically, but Buttler's decision to use Sam Curran and Chris Jordan instead of Moeen proved costly.
Chasing the target required perfection from England’s inconsistent batting lineup. Salt fell to Bumrah, Bairstow was bowled by Axar, and Moeen was stumped off balance. Brook showed promise but was bowled reverse sweeping Kuldeep, leading to a steady procession of wickets for India.