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India is on the brink of history following a commanding performance against the defending champions of the T20 World Cup, setting up a title showdown with South Africa, led by Rohit Sharma and his team.
Spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel claimed three wickets each to propel India into the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup final against South Africa, after a dominant performance saw them defeat defending champions England by 68 runs in the second semifinal at Providence Stadium.
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Captain Rohit Sharma, scoring his 32nd T20I fifty with a 39-ball 57, and Suryakumar Yadav, contributing 47 off 36 balls, guided India to a competitive total of 171/7 on a challenging pitch. Outstanding bowling displays from Axar and Kuldeep then dismantled England, who were bundled out for 103.
In pursuit of 172 runs, Jos Buttler made a strong start for England, striking four boundaries, three of which came off Arshdeep Singh in the opening three overs. However, Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah combined effectively to destabilize England. On Axar's first delivery, Buttler attempted a reverse-sweep but edged it to wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant.
Bumrah utilized his off-cutter to disturb Phil Salt's leg-stump, while Axar bowled one that kept low and hit Bairstow's off-stump, dismissing him without scoring, leaving England reeling at 39/3 by the end of the power-play.
England's woes deepened further when Moeen Ali tried to flick Axar but the ball deflected off his thigh pad, allowing Pant to swiftly stump him as he ventured out of the crease.
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Kuldeep Yadav further crippled England's hopes by dismissing Sam Curran lbw, catching Harry Brook plumb in front of the stumps with a reverse sweep, and deceiving Chris Jordan with a delivery that spun back to hit the stumps.
Miscommunications led to the run-outs of Liam Livingstone and Adil Rashid, and the mood was celebratory when Jasprit Bumrah trapped Jofra Archer lbw. This victory exorcised the memories of Adelaide 2022, and India's quest for the elusive trophy remained firmly on track in Guyana 2024.