2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in their World Cup 2023 match vs England
Team India's juggernaut rolled on in Lucknow as they thrashed bottom-placed England by a massive 100-run margin on Sunday, October 29, to extend their lead at the top of the 2023 World Cup points table.
India have been unstoppable so far, and the England clash was expected to be one of their biggest tests despite the defending champions' struggles in the tournament. The hosts were put under pressure at times, but they passed the test with flying colors thanks to terrific displays from captain Rohit Sharma and the bowlers.
The Men in Blue have three games remaining in the league stage and are expected to sail through to the knockouts. They will look back on their win over England with a great deal of pride, although there were a couple of things they could've done better.
Here are two mistakes and one masterstroke made by Team India in their World Cup 2023 clash against England.
#3 Mistake - Suryakumar Yadav didn't dominate strike after Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed
When Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed in the 41st over, India were left with only one recognized batter in Suryakumar Yadav, who was batting on 31. Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah were next to come, but Suryakumar didn't dominate the strike as he should have.
Between Jadeja's dismissal and his own in the 47th over, Suryakumar played just 14 balls. Shami and Bumrah faced a combined 21 balls in that period, meaning that India couldn't maximize those overs despite having a set batter at the crease.
Suryakumar was often happy to take singles off the second or third balls of an over, and the fast bowlers at the other end couldn't repay the favor. While there was no guarantee that him taking more strikes would've resulted in a bigger total, it was certainly the better option at the side's disposal at the time.
#2 Masterstroke - India brought on Mohammed Shami early in the powerplay
This was largely forced by two expensive overs from Mohammed Siraj, but captain Rohit Sharma smartly wasted no time in bringing the in-form Mohammed Shami on. The veteran quick was introduced into the attack in the sixth over and immediately made an impact.
Shami picked up two wickets in the powerplay, the important ones of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow. Even otherwise, he troubled the England batters with his relentless accuracy and nippy movement in both directions. His spell extended India's command over the game, following Bumrah's two-wicket burst.
India could've easily given Siraj some more time to work himself into his spell, but they were proactive and reaped the rewards of the same.
#1 Mistake - Key Indian batters played rash shots to be dismissed
The conditions in Lucknow weren't all too easy for the batters, as the general trend of the game and the scorecards suggest. It could be argued that key Indian players didn't adjust to the demands of the situation and essayed rash shots to be dismissed at inopportune times.
Virat Kohli was the first example as he attempted to break free of a dot-ball hole by taking David Willey on. He only managed to spoon a catch, though, and Shreyas Iyer followed him back to the pavilion a few overs later.
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, who were set when they were dismissed in the 30-40 over phase, must also take some blame for India not reaching a bigger total. They should've been more cautious and not exposed the tail so early.
India have a world-class batting lineup, but how some of the big names got out on Sunday wasn't ideal.