2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in their 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal match vs England
Team India secured their berth in the 2024 T20 World Cup final as they hammered England by 68 runs at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday, June 27. The Men in Blue reversed the result from their semifinal clash against the same opposition back in 2022.
India are now in the summit clash after a long wait and have the chance to go all the way. They will face off against South Africa, who are also unbeaten in the tournament so far and have plenty of talent in their ranks.
While Rohit Sharma and Co. have been one of the teams to watch out for in this year's T20 World Cup, they have been far from perfect from a tactical standpoint. Even in their thumping semifinal win, there were a couple of concerning events.
On that note, here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by India in their 2024 T20 World Cup clash against England.
#3 Mistake - Virat Kohli just can't seem to make the right decisions
All great players go through bad runs of form, even Virat Kohli. It isn't a concern that he isn't scoring runs, for he is the kind of player who can turn up as the best version of himself on any day.
The issue is that Kohli's dismissals have betrayed a lack of understanding of the game situation and his own limitations, a trait that has rarely been seen in him over the years. The opening batter is making consistently poor decisions in an attempt to get India off to a good start.
The intent is appreciable, and something that fans of the sport have been clamoring for over time, but Kohli has moved the needle too far. He now seems to have only one gear and has resorted to agricultural options to try and score runs.
Kohli slogged one off Reece Topley after backing away, only to be bowled. He cut a disconsolate figure in the dressing room, and sadly, he has only his own poor decision-making and lack of balance to blame.
#2 Masterstroke - Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav paced their partnership to perfection
Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav had to contend with some serious problems out in the middle. India had lost two wickets inside the powerplay, and the wicket wasn't conducive to shot-making.
Adil Rashid, one of England's best bowlers in the 2024 T20 World Cup, had four overs up his sleeve. A longish rain break disturbed their momentum and had an impact on an already sluggish pitch.
Despite all of that, Rohit and Suryakumar knew exactly when to play their shots. They remained positive and tried to be brave, while at the same time understanding what was a par score. The duo picked off any freebies from Rashid and Liam Livingstone while being content with knocking the ball around otherwise.
Earlier in the tournament, there were a couple of matches where India looked to be too aggressive and ended up below a decent par score. In previous editions of the T20 World Cup, the Men in Blue were too conservative and didn't score enough.
Against England, India's approach was perfectly balanced, thanks largely to Rohit and Suryakumar.
#1 Mistake - India demoted Shivam Dube
Shivam Dube is in the team as a spin hitter who can take down that style of bowling after the powerplay. England bowled eight overs of spin through Rashid and Livingstone, and Dube didn't face a single ball.
Why? Well, because India decided to send in Hardik Pandya at No. 5 in the 14th over, and then decided to send in Ravindra Jadeja at No. 6 in the 16th over. Rishabh Pant's presence at No. 3 has also damaged several players' ideal entry points.
By the time Dube came in, only 14 balls remained in the innings. He was never going to succeed in that role and got dismissed first ball. India need to use the big-hitting southpaw where he is best, especially against South Africa, who have two solid spinners.