India moved a step closer to defending their T20 World Cup title after defeating England in a high-scoring semi-final on Thursday (March 5) in Mumbai. Powered by a strong collective batting display led by Sanju Samson’s 89 off 42 balls, India piled up a formidable total of 253.
England responded with determination despite an early setback, with Jacob Bethell producing a superb century of 105 from 48 deliveries to keep the chase alive. However, disciplined bowling in the closing overs, spearheaded by Jasprit Bumrah, ultimately proved decisive as India secured a narrow seven-run victory to book their place in the final against New Zealand.
India Post Massive Total at Wankhede
On a batting-friendly surface at the Wankhede Stadium, India made the most of the conditions after being asked to bat first. They raced to 67 in the Powerplay even though Abhishek Sharma departed early once again. The opener fell to his match-up after Harry Brook introduced Will Jacks as early as the second over, with Abhishek mistiming a big shot and getting caught in the deep.
England then had a chance to make further inroads when Brook dropped a straightforward opportunity to dismiss Samson on 15 in the following over. The missed chance proved costly as Samson capitalised on the reprieve, attacking Jofra Archer and finishing the Powerplay with additional boundaries off Sam Curran.
Samson continued his aggressive approach by striking Adil Rashid through the covers and launching Liam Dawson over long-off for a six to bring up consecutive half-centuries. At the other end, Ishan Kishan maintained the momentum, hitting Jamie Overton for two boundaries and clearing the ropes against Dawson as well, forcing the spinner to concede 19 runs in his opening over.
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The pair entertained a packed Mumbai crowd before Rashid eventually struck, with Kishan miscuing a shot and being caught around the halfway stage of the innings.
Despite the breakthrough, India’s momentum barely slowed. Samson greeted Overton’s return to the attack with a six, while Shivam Dube struck Rashid for two towering hits into the stands. Samson later attempted another big shot off Jacks but mistimed it and was dismissed for 89.
England found brief hope when Rashid removed Suryakumar Yadav, yet India accelerated in the closing stages, scoring 63 runs in the final four overs. Hardik Pandya struck three boundaries off Overton, while an erratic over from Archer proved costly as Tilak Varma hammered him for three sixes.
Hardik then finished the innings in style with two sixes in the final over, pushing India beyond the 250 mark.
Bethell’s Heroics Keep England in the Hunt
Hardik also made an early impact with the ball as Phil Salt miscued a shot. Jasprit Bumrah followed with a key breakthrough, deceiving Brook with a slower delivery that led to Axar Patel completing an excellent catch running backward.
Bethell then launched the counterattack by smashing Varun Chakaravarthy for three consecutive sixes. However, the spinner responded by dismissing Jos Buttler, ensuring England lost their top three inside the Powerplay.
Tom Banton briefly threatened with two sixes off Axar Patel but fell attempting a third in succession as his stumps were knocked back. England still reached 119 at the halfway point, largely due to Bethell’s dominance.
The left-hander continued to trouble the Indian bowlers, frequently switching his stance and finding boundaries. Even so, England faced a demanding task with 135 runs required in the final ten overs and Bumrah still holding three overs.
One of Bumrah’s overs came early in the second half, costing just eight runs, though England still managed to collect 12 from it. Over the next three overs, Bethell and Jacks accelerated sharply, attacking both Chakaravarthy and Axar to pull England back into contention.
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Just as the momentum appeared to be shifting, Axar produced another impressive effort near the boundary to take a catch that ended the growing partnership.
Bumrah’s Death Overs Seal the Match
As the overs dwindled, England kept pace with the required rate, though the looming threat of Bumrah’s remaining overs remained crucial. His 16th over conceded only eight runs, forcing England to look for runs elsewhere.
Arshdeep Singh delivered a largely tidy over before Bethell struck a six and a four off the final two balls, reducing the equation to 45 runs from 18 deliveries.
The match swung decisively in India’s favour when Bumrah bowled an outstanding over, conceding just six runs. Bethell briefly reignited England’s hopes by hitting a six from the first ball of the penultimate over, which also brought up his century.
However, Hardik responded strongly, allowing only three more runs from the remaining deliveries of the over. That left Shivam Dube with 30 runs to defend in the final over, sealing India’s place in the final for the second consecutive edition.
Brief Scores
- India: 253/7 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 89, Shivam Dube 43; Will Jacks 2/40)
- England: 246/7 in 20 overs (Jacob Bethell 105, Will Jacks 35; Hardik Pandya 2/38, Jasprit Bumrah 1/33)
- Result: India won by 7 runs
