The India national cricket team clinched a dramatic seven-run victory over the England cricket team in the semi-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Thursday, sealing a spot in the tournament’s final.
England were chasing a daunting target of 254 and needed 30 runs from the final over with Jacob Bethell and Jamie Overton at the crease. Despite a late push, the English side finished short of the target, ending their innings on 246.
Young batter Bethell produced a stunning counterattack, reaching his half-century in just 19 balls and threatening to take the match away from India. However, the Indian bowling attack managed to restrict the final surge and defend the total.
India’s wickets were shared among several bowlers, with Hardik Pandya, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel each picking up a dismissal. Axar also made a big impact in the field, taking three crucial catches during England’s chase.
Earlier in the evening, India piled up a massive total of 253 for 7 in their 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson led the charge with a brilliant 89 off just 42 deliveries, while several other batters chipped in with quick contributions to push the score well beyond the 250 mark.
The final over of England’s chase added more drama. Shivam Dube conceded two sixes to Jofra Archer off the last two balls, but India had already done enough to seal the win.
With this result, India advance to the tournament’s title clash where they will face the New Zealand national cricket team in the final on Sunday.