In T20 Cricket World Cup, England today entered the final defeating India by 10 wickets in the second semi-final match at Adelaide. Chasing a target of 168 runs to win England, overhauled the target in 16 overs.
For England, Alex Hales remained not out with 86 runs in 47 balls while skipper Jos Buttler remained unbeaten with 80 runs in 49 balls. Earlier, Hardik Pandya’s 33-ball 63 steered India to 168 for 6. Virat Kohli also scored a 50 off 40 balls. England skipper Jos Buttler had won the toss and opted to bowl first .
After being forced to bat first, the Indian batters started steadily in the powerplay. Virat Kohli made his fourth half-century in this T20 WC and Hardik Pandya accelerated the innings swiftly and scored 63 off 33 runs. India scored 168 runs at the end of 20 overs. Chris Jordan accounted for three wickets and his bowling was the highlight for England. In the second innings, the English openers Jos Butler(80* off 49) and Alex Hales(86* off 47) batted extremely well and finished the match without losing a wicket.
Alex Hales is the Player of the Match
Alex Hales: “Huge occasion, India in a semifinal of a World Cup, really happy with the way I played and it is as special as it gets. This is one of the best grounds to bat in especially in the powerplay, a really good surface and great value for good cricket shots, this is a ground I have good memories of, and enjoy batting here. I never thought I would play in a World Cup again, so to get the chance is a very special feeling.”
Rohit Sharma, Indian Captain: “Pretty disappointed how it turned up today. We batted well at the backend to get that score. We were not upto the mark with the ball, we couldn’t turn up today. It’s all about handling the pressure in knockout games. All these guys have played enough to understand that. I thought it swung a bit in the first over, but not from the right areas. I thought we held our nerve and kept executing our plans. Couldn’t do that today.”
Jos Buttler, England Captain: “I think the character we have has been amazing. We came here very excited, there was a very good feeling. Everyone stood up today. We always want to start fast and aggressively. Hales used the dimensions well and he has shown his form. It’s important to enjoy this, it was a brilliant performance from us. I think we need to give special credit to Jordan, to bowl 3 overs at the death coming into the semi-final, it was a tough job.”