In a scenario reminiscent of many Test tours to the subcontinent, England faced a dramatic collapse in the semi-final of the men’s T20 World Cup in steamy Guyana. This crushing 68-run defeat to India secured India's spot in the final against unbeaten South Africa at Kensington Oval on Saturday.
Rohit Sharma’s team managed to score 171 for seven, despite an 80-minute rain delay, on a slow and low pitch at Providence Stadium, making the chase a daunting task. The target, slightly higher than the one England effortlessly chased in the 2022 semi-final, proved insurmountable this time. The defending champions, now dethroned, found themselves heading home on a transatlantic flight instead of the short trip to Barbados. They were bowled out for a mere 103 in 16.4 overs, thanks to a masterful performance by India’s spinners, all after Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to field. Sharma had preferred to bat first, a decision that proved wise. Sharma scored 57 from 39 balls, setting the stage for Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav to dismantle England’s batting lineup. Patel took three wickets for 23 runs, and Yadav claimed three for 19, securing India’s eighth consecutive victory and a chance to end their 11-year trophy drought.
Jasprit Bumrah also played a crucial role, dismissing Phil Salt for five with a slower ball and later trapping Jofra Archer lbw with a yorker. However, it was the spinners who dominated, with Patel named player of the match for his pivotal role in England's downfall.
The chaos began when Buttler, attempting a reverse sweep off Patel’s first ball, gloved a catch to the keeper. Jonny Bairstow was soon bowled for a duck by Patel, and Moeen Ali was stumped in a misguided attempt to attack. Yadav then took over, dismissing Sam Curran lbw, bowling Harry Brook around his legs, and trapping Chris Jordan in front to extinguish England's hopes. The English collapse also featured two run-outs, with Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid failing to make their ground. England’s struggles against high-quality spin and their erratic performance, losing three of four matches against full-member teams, are likely to prompt a thorough internal review.
Buttler admitted that they allowed India to score 20 to 25 runs too many and regretted not utilising Moeen Ali as a bowler. Despite Rashid and Livingstone being the most economical bowlers, sharing eight overs for 49 runs, Moeen was not called upon, a decision Buttler acknowledged as an oversight. Additionally, Salt’s missed catch off Sharma in the second over proved costly. After the rain break, with India at 65 for two, Reece Topley and Sam Curran took crucial wickets, but Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav built a solid partnership of 73 from 50 balls. Sharma’s innings, though not always fluent, included several brilliant shots, such as consecutive sweeps off Rashid and booming sixes later on.
Rashid eventually dismissed Sharma with a googly, and Archer forced Yadav to hole out for 47. Despite three wickets from Jordan late in the innings, including a golden duck for Shivam Dube, India managed to push their score past par with contributions from Hardik Pandya and Patel. Patel’s six in the final over was a sign of things to come, as he later played a crucial role in England's batting collapse.