The team effort was at the core of India’s successful t20 world cup title defense. TOI highlights campaign highlights leading up to Sunday’s summit clash…
SURYA RESCUE ACT VS USA
The hosts suffered a rude awakening in their first match against the United States at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Still, on a pitch where shots were difficult to hit, captain Suryakumar Yadav’s unbeaten 49-ball 84 (10×4, 4×6) proved to be the difference as India prevailed by 29 runs.
Brief scores: 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 FLAY NAMIBIA
At the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, Ishan Kishan set the tone with a fiery 61 (6×4, 5×6) off 24 balls. After a mid-innings wobble, Hardik Pandya rode the early momentum to score a sublime 52 (28 balls, 4×4, 4×6) to propel India to 209/9. He then returned to hasten Namibia’s finish by claiming two wickets as India won by 93 runs.
Brief scores: 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).
SENSATIONAL KISHAN FLOORING PAK
Ishan Kishan overcame the slow, spin-friendly conditions at Colombo’s R Premadasa Stadium with a career-defining knock against his arch-rivals. On a pitch where Pakistan bowled 18 overs of spin, Kishan swept, reverse-swept and cut them down to size as he battled his way to an unbeaten 77 (10×4, 3×6) from 40 balls to take India to 175/7. Pakistan gave up their chase and were bowled out for 114.
Brief scores: 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 DESTROYS THE DUTCH
Shivam Dube hit a 31-ball 66 and claimed two wickets to shape India’s 17-run victory over the Netherlands at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The left-hander smashed four fours and six sixes in the best knock of his career and then accounted for the prize wicket of Holland’s top scorer Bas de Leede. The Dutch batsmen failed to read Varun Chakravarthy’s mystery turn (3/14) and were never really in the chase.
Brief scores: India 193/6 (S Dube 66, Suryakumar 34, van Beek 3-56) beat Netherlands 176/7 (de Leede 33, V Chakravarthy 3-14, S Dube 2-35).
INDIA LOSES THE PLOT AGAINST SA
Jasprit Bumrah (15/3) gave the hosts the lead against South Africa with a double strike in the powerplay to reduce them to 20/3. Although Arshdeep Singh (2/28) complemented the efforts of his new-ball partner, the rest of the bowlers were beaten by David Miller (63), Dewald Brevis (45) and Tristan Stubbs (44*) as the Proteas made 187/7. The Indian batting line-up capitulated and were bowled out for 111 to end India’s 12-match unbeaten run in the T20 World Cup.
Brief scores: 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 POWER VS ZIM
In a must-win match, India rejigged their batting order and showed their power against Zimbabwe in Chennai. All six batsmen who reached the crease not only crossed double figures but also had a strike rate of over 158 as India galloped to 256/4, helped by the fifties of 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 as India kept their dream alive.
Brief Scores: India 256/4 (A Sharma 55, H Pandya 50*; Sikandar Raza 1-29) beat Zimbabwe 184/6 in 20 overs (B Bennett 97*, Sikandar Raza 31; Arshdeep Singh 3-24).
SANJU TAKES INDIA TO THE SEMIS
Sanju Samson repaid the faith shown in him by the team management with a high-quality knock to seal India’s semi-final berth with a five-wicket win over the West Indies in a virtual quarter-final at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Jasprit Bumrah played his part with the ball with a double knock in the 12th over to restrict Windies to 195/4 on a flat Eden track. Undeterred by the rigid target, Sanju played a measured knock and always seemed in control of the chase as he played some classy knocks to take India home with an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls (12×4, 4×6).
Brief Scores: India 199/5 in 19.2 overs (S Samson 97, T Varma 27; Jason Holder 2-38) beat West Indies 195/4 (Roston Chase 40, Jason Holder 37*; Jasprit Bumrah 2-36).
BUMRAH, SANJU SEND ENG HOME
It took Sanju Samson’s brilliant strokeplay, Jasprit Bumrah’s ingenuity with the ball and Axar Patel’s brilliance on the field to challenge the individual batting power of Jacob Bethell in the second semi-final at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Sanju smashed a 42-ball 89 (8×4, 7×6) to help India post a commanding 253/7. Axar Patel’s impressive catch, running back to dismiss Brook and his remarkable agility on the boundary ropes to convey a catch to Shivam Dube, put England back in the chase. Bethell (105; 42b, 8×4, 7×6), however, kept the visitors in the hunt. Bumrah again proved to be the game-changer, conceding just eight and six in his last two overs in the end.
Brief scores: India 253/7 (S Samson 89, S Dube 43; W Jacks 2-40) beat England 246/7 (J Bethell 105, W Jacks 35; H Pandya 2-38, J Bumrah 1-33).