Image Credit- AP
India maintained their unblemished World Cup run and
further denounced their opponents’ effort in Lucknow as Mohammed Shami tore the
heart out of England.
England staggered to 40 for 4 after 10 overs chasing
230 for just their second victory of the tournament as Shami took 2 for 4 from
three overs during the first powerplay in an amazing spell and Jasprit Bumrah 2
for 17 from five. That was not to be, as none of England’s batters could
surpass Liam Livingstone’s 27 as India easily won by 100 runs with 15.1 overs
remaining. Shami took two more wickets and Bumrah took one.
When David Willey removed Virat Kohli for a nine-ball
duck, he celebrated fiercely and widely, suggesting that England will be a
threat this tournament, something they have sadly missed. Dawid Malan’s steely
stare, which tracked the ball over deep midwicket as he clubbed Mohammed Siraj
for six, matched it. Willey, Chris Woakes, and Adil Rashid had assisted in
limiting India to 229 for 8, with Rohit Sharma’s 87 leading the way for the
hosts in challenging batting conditions.
But after two balls, Bumrah got his man with a
shaped-away blow that beat Malan’s outside edge, which Malan chopped right onto
his stumps. When Bumrah got Joe Root to trip over and rap on the front pad, he
took two wickets in two balls. Five overs later, England was down to 30 for 2,
and it appeared like their batting misfortune would not end.
Throughout the latter part of the first powerplay,
Bumrah and Shami were superb. After the former hit a maiden in the seventh
over, Shami promptly followed it up with a wicket maiden, edging Ben Stokes
with two superb deliveries that defied clumsy attempts at defence before luring
the batsman to attack a fuller ball that splattered the stumps.
After Kohli failed to block a tough chance at slip on
13, Jonny Bairstow managed to survive. However, Shami carried on from where he
had left off in the previous over, taking two wickets in as many deliveries
when Bairstow pulled one on that nipped in from the right length just outside
off stump.
England’s underdog captain, Jos Buttler, needed to
step up because he had only scored 95 runs in his first five games, with his
best score coming in the first game against New Zealand. With a delivery that
turned fiercely from outside off and slammed into the top of middle and off,
Kuldeep Yadav, however, assured that Buttler’s poor run would continue. This
sent Buttler on his way for just 10, leaving England reeling at 52 for 5.
In the 24th over, Shami made a comeback and removed
Moeen Ali with a first ball blow, enticing the drive and getting an edge that
went through to KL Rahul behind the stumps. India needed just one wicket to
take after Shami bowled Adil Rashid through the gate, and Bumrah obliged with a
sensational yorker that smashed the base of Mark Wood’s middle stump.