The Indian cricket team at the World Cup has been unstoppable, and their latest triumph against England at the Ekana stadium only reinforced their dominance. England, once considered prime favorites and the defending champions, fell short in a 100-run loss as India put up a remarkable performance with both bat and ball.
India set a target of 230 runs, which England would have hoped to chase down, given the challenging conditions. However, it was India’s bowlers who stole the show, maintaining precision from the outset.
Jasprit Bumrah, the spearhead of the Indian bowling attack, played a pivotal role in England’s early downfall. He removed Dawid Malan and Joe Root in quick succession. Malan’s dismissal came as he attempted a risky cut and ended up chopping the ball onto his stumps. Root, known for his tendency to play across the front pad early in his innings, fell victim to a well-executed inswinger from Bumrah.
As India replaced Mohammed Siraj with Mohammed Shami, the pressure intensified on England. Ben Stokes struggled to connect with balls outside off-stump, resulting in a series of dot balls. His impatience led to his dismissal as he swung across the line and lost his stumps. In the same over, Jonny Bairstow played onto his stumps, leaving England at 45/4.
The introduction of Kuldeep Yadav in the 14th over further compounded England’s woes, and they found themselves at 52/5. Kuldeep’s deceptive delivery pitched outside off and spun back so fiercely that England’s captain, Jos Buttler, couldn’t prevent it from crashing into the stumps. Kuldeep also dismissed Liam Livingstone, ending with two crucial wickets. Shami finished with four wickets, while Bumrah cleaned up with a perfect yorker to Mark Wood’s stumps.
The win wouldn’t have been possible without Rohit Sharma’s exceptional performance with the bat. India was in early trouble at 40/3, but Sharma, along with KL Rahul, orchestrated a recovery with a 91-run partnership for the fourth wicket. While the rest of India’s top order struggled, Sharma showcased his ability to grind runs on a challenging pitch. Known for his pull shot against pace bowlers, Sharma’s footwork against spin often goes underappreciated. He displayed his nimble footwork against the spinners, using sweeps and deft placements to maneuver the field.
Rahul’s dismissal was a setback for India, and as he tried to clear the infield, the ball ended up safely in Bairstow’s hands. The slowness of the pitch eventually got the better of Sharma too. He had read Adil Rashid’s googly early but couldn’t clear the boundary, finding Livingstone at deep midwicket.
A surge from Suryakumar Yadav (49 runs off 47 balls) allowed India to cross the 200-run mark. Suryakumar’s ingenuity was on display as he played an array of innovative shots. Whether it was moving inside the line to help a short delivery over fine leg for six or executing fierce sweeps, Suryakumar’s innings was a crucial contribution to India’s perfect campaign.
India’s convincing victory over England showcased their strong team performance, with key contributions from Rohit Sharma with the bat and their potent bowling attack. England, once favorites, have struggled in the tournament, while India continues to shine in pursuit of World Cup glory.
