T20 World Cup 2022 : Semi Final
England VS India Played at Adelaide Oval on 10 November 2022
England 170/0 in 16 Overs (Alex Hales 86*, Jos Buttler 80* )
India 168/6 ( Hardik Pandiya 63 ,Virat Kohli 50 ,Chris Jordan 3/43)
England Won by 10 Wickets
Player of the Match: Alex Hales.
If one sums up the second semifinal played at Adelaide Oval yesterday one can only say team India was shocked and rocked by awesome England. Chasing Indian par score of 168/6 flamboyant English openers made it a cake walk scoring 170/0 in 16 overs.
This was only the second time mighty Indians lost any T20 international by 10 wickets. Their arch rivals Pakistan Tsunamied them at Dubai in UAE in T20 world cup 2021.
The dream of a blockbuster Pakistan India final at MCG got dashed. The memory of 1992 final is going to be repeated .There is popular thought now that Babar Azam’s Pakistan may crown its efforts getting into the shoes of maestro Imran Khan.
Winning toss on slow dry wicket proved decisive. Disciplined English attack could restrict India at par score of 168/6 . England could execute their plan clinically wrestling the initiative and maintaining their grip on the match till the 15th over of Indian innings.
It was only through a masterpiece aggressive innings of 63 in 33 balls by Hardik Pandiya punctuated with 4 fours and 5 massive sixes and a characteristic 50 by Virat Kohli that paved the way for an apparently competitive score.
English attack was disciplined and captain Butller marshaled his resources skillfully. On the gripping and turking surface Adil Rashid and Liam Livingtone bowling 7 overs in between them strangled India giving away only 41 runs.
English chase was clinical. Jos Buttler and Alex Hales has great feel of Indian attack appearing regularly in IPL . Batting like champions they completely out classed India.
The flamboyance of Hales kept his captain Buttler waiting in the wings for a while. But when the end looked certain Buttler also joined the party.
India was bruised, battered and completely overwhelmed. Hales struck four fours and 7 towering sixes in his unbeaten 86 in 47 deliveries. Buttler’s unbeaten knock of 80 also featured 9 fours and 4 sixes.
India was clinically dispatched losing by 10 wickets in 16 overs. None of the Indian bowlers could cast any impression on quality English batting. We will not like to discuss fair or unfair way of India reaching semifinal this time. Few believe the outcome as natural justice.
England will now meet Pakistan in the final at Iconic on Sunday 13 November. In 1992 Imran Khan’s cornered tigers won ICC World Cup beating England. Will history repeat itself?
BDST: 1011 HRS, NOV 11, 2022
MN
