India thump England by 68 runs to reach T20 World Cup final

GUYANA (Agencies): India thumped defending champions England by 68 runs in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup on Thursday to book their place in Saturday’s final against South Africa. Put into bat in the rain-hit match at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, 2007 champions India posted 171 for seven with skipper Rohit Sharma (57) and Suryakumar Yadav (47) scoring bulk of the runs on a slow track. England were all out for 103 in the 17th over, never really recovering from a top-order collapse and surrendering to India’s spin duo of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, who claimed three wickets apiece. Rain and a wet outfield delayed start of the match and England captain Jos Buttler elected to field after winning the toss. India managed 46 runs from the six power-play overs and it cost them the wickets of Virat Kohli and Rishabh Pant. Rohit began with a couple of streaky shots but soon grew in confidence. Suryakumar, at the other end, scooped Chris Jordan over fine leg in what has been his trademark shot for a six before rain stopped play with India 65-2 in eight overs.

Once play resumed more than an hour later, Rohit reached his 36-ball fifty with a six, which also brought up India’s 100 in the 13th over. Adil Rashid bowled Rohit and Jofra Archer denied Suryakumar a fifty to temporarily peg back India. Jordan (3-37) dismissed Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube with successive deliveries but India still managed to post a competitive total. England began briskly but were reeling at 49-5 after a top order meltdown triggered by Axar (3-23). The left-arm spinner dismissed Buttler (23) with his first ball and removed Jonny Bairstow for a duck in his next over. In between, Phil Salt had his leg stump pegged back by Jasprit Bumrah. Player-of-the-match Axar returned to dismiss Moeen Ali stumped before fellow spinner Kuldeep (3-19) twisted the knife on a slow pitch where the ball occasionally kept low. The left-arm wrist spinner trapped both Sam Curran and Jordan and clean bowled Harry Brook (25) to put India firmly in charge. South Africa hammered Afghanistan on Wednesday to reach the final in Bridgetown, Barbados.

 Brief scores:

India 171 for 7 (Rohit 57, Suryakumar 47, Jordan 3-37) beat England 103 (Brook 25, Kuldeep 3-19, Axar 3-23) by 68 runs.