Team effort is at the core of India’s successful defense of the t20 world cup title. The Times of India highlights the high point of campaigning ahead of Sunday’s summit clash…
Surya’s rescue operation and the U.S.
The hosts were in for a rude awakening in their first match against the United States at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Nonetheless, on a pitch where shots were difficult, captain Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 49 off 84 balls (10×4, 4×6) proved the team’s strength as India won by 29 runs.
Brief score: India 161/9 (S Yadav 84*, T Varma 25; S van Schalkwyk 4-25) beat USA 132/8 (S Krishnamurthi 37; Mohammad Siraj 3-29, Axar Patel 2-24).
KISHAN, Pandya Flei Namibia
Ishan Kishan set the tone with a brilliant performance of 24-ball 61 (6×4, 5×6) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. After a mid-innings wobble, Hardik Pandya rode the early momentum with a stunning 52 runs (28 balls, 4×4, 4×6) to propel India to 209/9. He then came back to accelerate Namibia’s game, taking two wickets as India won by 93 runs.
Brief score: India 209/9 (I Kishan 61, Pandya 52; G Erasmus 4/20) beat Namibia 116 (L Steenkamp 29, V Chakravarthy 3/7, Axar 2-20, Hardik 2-21).
Eye-catching Kishan Flooring PAK
Ishan Kishan stood out in slow, spin-friendly conditions at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo to deliver a career-defining blow to their arch-rivals. In a game in which Pakistan bowled 18 overs of spin, Kishan swept, reverse-swept and reduced them to size, scoring an unbeaten 40 off 77 (10×4, 3×6) to take India to 175/7. Pakistan surrendered in the chase and were bowled out for 114 runs.
Brief score: India 175/7 (I Kishan 77, Suryakumar 32; S Ayub 3-25) beat Pakistan 114 (U Khan 44, Pandya 2-16, Bumrah 2-17).
Dube destroyed the Netherlands
Shivam Dube scored a 31-ball 66 and took two wickets to help India beat Netherlands by 17 runs at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The left-hander hit a career-best four and six sixes before taking the wicket of Dutch top scorer Pastelid. The Dutch batsmen failed to decipher the mysterious spin of Varun Chakravarthy (3/14) and were never really involved in the chase.
Brief score: India 193/6 (S Dube 66, Suryakumar 34, van Beek 3-56) defeated Netherlands 176/7 (de Leede 33, V Chakravarthy 3-14, S Dube 2-35).
India loses plot against South Africa
Jasprit Bumrah (3/15) gave the hosts the upper hand with two powerful knocks against South Africa, reducing the deficit to 20/3. While Arshdeep Singh (2/28) supplemented the efforts of his new-ball partner, the rest of the bowlers were hammered by David Miller (63), Dewald Brevis (45) and Tristan Stubbs (44*) as the Proteas posted a score of 187/7. India’s batting line-up capitulated and were bowled out for 111, ending India’s 12-match unbeaten run in the T20 World Cup.
Brief score: South Africa 187/7 (D Miller 63, D Brevis 45, J Bumrah 3/15) beat India 111 (S Dube 42; Marco Jansen 4/22).
INDIA FLEX BATTING MAY VS ZIM
In this must-win match, India reshuffled their batting order and showed their quality against Zimbabwe in Chennai. All six batsmen who came to the crease not only crossed double figures, but India posted a strike rate of over 158, helped by strong 50s from Abhishek Sharma (55 off 30 balls, 4×4, 4×6) and Hardik Pandya (50 off 23 balls, 2×4, 4×6). Zimbabwe could only manage 184/6 while India continued to live up to their dream.
Brief score: India 256/4 (A Sharma 55, H Pandya 50*; Sikandar Raza 1-29) defeated Zimbabwe 184/6 in 20 overs (B Bennett 97*, Sikandar Raza 31; Arshdeep Singh 3-24).
SANJU leads India to semi-finals
Sanju Samson rewarded the team management’s faith in him with a quality knock as he sealed India’s semi-final berth with a five-wicket win over West Indies in the virtual quarter-final at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Jasprit Bumrah made his mark with a double in the 12th over to restrict the furious Windies to 195/4 on a flat Eden track. Unfazed by stiff targets, Sanju was in rhythm with his batting and always looked in control of the chase, playing some classy knocks to take India home with an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls (12×4, 4×6).
Brief score: India 199/5 in 19.2 overs (S Samson 97, T Varma 27; Jason Holder 2-38) defeated West Indies 195/4 (Roston Chase 40, Jason Holder 37*; Jasprit Bumrah 2-36).
BUMRAH and SANJU send ENG home
In the second semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, it took Sanju Samson’s brilliant batting, Jasprit Bumrah’s ingenuity and Axar Patel’s brilliance on the field to challenge Jacob Bethell’s individual batting prowess. Sanju’s 42-ball knock of 89 (8×4, 7×6) helped India post an impressive 253/7. Axar Patel’s stunning catch, running back to dismiss Brooke, and his remarkable agility on the boundary rope to pass the catch to Shivam Dube allowed England to resume their chase. However, Bethel (105; 42b, 8×4, 7×6) kept the visitors in the hunt. Bumrah once again proved himself to be a game-changer, conceding just eight and six in the last two overs at the death.
Brief score: India 253/7 (S Samson 89, S Dube 43; W Jacks 2-40) defeated England 246/7 (J Bethell 105, W Jacks 35; H Pandya 2-38, J Bumrah 1-33).