That’s what Thursday’s T20 World Cup devolved into as England’s unbeaten openers Jos Buttler (49-ball 80) and Alex Hales (47-ball 86) knocked the stuffing out of Rohit Sharma & Co to emerge victors by 10 wickets
England skipper Jos Buttler (right) and Alex Hales celebrate their 10-wicket win over India in the T20 World Cup semi-final at Adelaide on Thursday. Pic/AFP
The air was thick with anticipation, the promise of a classic between two powerhouse teams looming large, but the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup devolved into a no-contest at the Adelaide Oval. On a balmy Thursday night, Jos Buttler and Alex Hales knocked the stuffing out of Rohit Sharma’s men, plundering a 10-wicket win with 24 deliveries to spare and setting up a Sunday date with Pakistan in the final at the MCG.
A competent bowling display after Buttler won the toss meant India posted no more than 168 for six, and that was only because Hardik Pandya cut loose towards the back-end of the innings. The spoils were shared around, but the star of the show was Adil Rashid, the leg-spinner, who only conceded 20 runs in his four overs and picked up dangerman Suryakumar Yadav cheaply.
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Rude shock for India
If India felt they had a competitive score, they were in for a rude shock. Buttler and Hales lay into them from the start, going hard, taking their chances and not allowing India to control the game for even an instant. In a competition, where opening the batting has been fraught with peril and India’s highest first-wicket stand didn’t touch 30 in six innings, the two right-handers strung together their third 50-run partnership in a row. And this time, it didn’t just end in two-digits. By the time Buttler clubbed Mohammed Shami over long-on for the blow that sealed England’s ticket to Melbourne, they had realised the highest opening stand in English T20I history.
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Buttler, the early aggressor
Buttler was the early aggressor before enjoying the Hales pyrotechnics from the best seat in the ground, then finishing with a flourish as India were left licking their wounds and rueing a fourth semi-final exit in all World Cups since 2015. When India introspect, they will be alarmed that the bowling showed neither control nor penetration in admittedly good batting conditions, though England’s intent and unfettered aggression had something to do with it. That they conceded as many as 10 sixes and 13 fours and gave up the fight all too early will be a bitter pill to swallow for Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid.
Better conditions batting second
In the evening, when England had use of the best bowling conditions of the match—the surface was a little damp and there was steepling bounce, which accounted for KL Rahul in the second over—India struggled to find any fluency. Rohit’s poor tournament continued as he spent 28 deliveries for 27, and it was left to Virat Kohli to steady the ship, with his fourth 50 of the competition. Even so, at 100 for three after 15, India were way behind the eight-ball until Pandya overturned a poor start into a stunning finish. Sixty-eight came off the last five, but as it turned out, that was not enough. Not by a long way.
Brief scores
India 168-6 in 20 overs (Hardik Pandya 63, Virat Kohli 50; Chris Jordan 3-43) lost to England 170 for no loss in 16 overs (Alex Hales 86*, Jos Buttler 80*) by 10 wickets
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