Box-office Bumrah will give India edge in T20 World Cup final against South Africa | Mark Ramprakash
England lost to the tournamentβs best team in the semi-final and Indiaβs display makes them favourites to win the trophy
A washout in Guyana on Thursday, for the semi-final between England and India, would have been disastrous for this T20 World Cup. It really isnβt ideal that one semi-final, played between South Africa and Afghanistan, had a reserve day and the other didnβt. The ruling that the side that topped their Super Eight group advanced to the final in case of an abandonment is also unconvincing. It must also seem strange to people that India knew before the tournament where their semi-final would be held if they got that far. Iβm just glad the match got played.
The conditions on offer were probably the most difficult this England side could have faced. The pitch didnβt suit their natural style of cricket and was more like one you would find in India as opposed to England. Given that India got a score that was 15, possibly 20, runs above par, England were right to go hard in the powerplay. But it is a high-risk policy, and it was unfortunate their shots didnβt come off. Axar Patel was the star man for India, but Kuldeep Yadav bowled beautifully. He has improved so much, particularly in the past two years, with his variations of pace, and Jasprit Bumrahβs wonderful cutter to get rid of Phil Salt set the tone.
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