In a one-sided encounter in Lucknow, India surged to victory against struggling England in a match featuring high-quality displays from some of India’s key players.
Batting first, the hosts overcame a rocky start on a tricky pitch to set a challenging target of 230. That total proved far too many for the out-of-form England lineup, and they fell 100 runs short of their target.
India’s batting prowess
India’s innings began in a shaky fashion, as they slipped to 40-3 after 12 overs on a pitch that was offering plenty of assistance to the England attack. The pressure was building on the hosts, but captain Rohit Sharma rose to the occasion, scoring a patient 87 off 101 balls.
Sharma’s innings was crucial in steadying the ship, and along with valuable contributions from KL Rahul (39) and Suryakumar Yadav (49), India managed to put up a competitive total of 229/9 in their 50 overs.
England’s challenging chase
England’s response started encouragingly, but after reaching 30 without loss in the fifth over, they collapsed to 39-4 before the end of the powerplay. Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah shared the four wickets, as England’s beleaguered batters struggled to cope with the movement of the Indian pace attack.
England struggled to rebuild their innings and continued to lose regular wickets. Despite a gritty innings from Liam Livingstone (26), they were eventually bowled out for 129 in 34.5 overs.
Match highlights and key moments
In a relatively low-scoring game on a bowler-friendly wicket, Rohit Sharma’s crucial partnership of 91 with KL Rahul proved to be decisive. It ensured India recovered from 40-3 and enabled them to set England a difficult target.
With the ball, Mohammed Shami’s four-wicket haul was the standout performance. Not only did Shami pick up crucial wickets, but his exemplary line and length stopped England from upping their run rate. His economy rate of just over three per over was further evidence that he is one of the standout bowlers of the tournament.
For England, yet another top-order collapse proved to be their undoing, and they were never able to recover from the early setbacks. All of their top-order players look short of form and confidence. This meant that a good bowling performance went unrewarded and the 2019 winners are now on the verge of elimination.
Conclusion
This victory was hugely significant for India, as it maintained their 100% record and puts them on the brink of confirming a semifinal place. Skipper Rohit Sharma was deservedly named the Player of the Match for his outstanding innings. But this was a strong all-round performance from an Indian team who look well equipped to go all the way.
