That’s it for today’s OBO. Our did-that-really-happen blog will be live on the site shortly (it won’t). Thanks for your company and emails, and please join us on Sunday morning for the big one: England v Pakistan at the MCG. Or is it Pakistan v England? Who cares, they’re playing each other, in a World Cup final. Ta-ra!
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The weather forecast for Sunday is mixed. I say ‘mixed’; it’s rubbish. There’s a reserve day on Monday, but the forecast isn’t great then either.
If the match can’t be completed, the trophy will be shared. As unsatisfying as that sounds, there is a precedent: the winners of the 2002 Champions Trophy were Sri Lanka and India.
“India have done this before,” writes Tim de Lisle, “right down to the match-losing fifty from Kohli.”
The Sky pundits are discussing whether they were too cautious, particularly at the start of the innings. World Cups do seem to act as a handbrake. I still don’t think they were that far short of par, though. England won what turned out to be a good toss and batted incredibly.
That said, this is a cracking statistic.
In #T20Iworldcup2022 #T20worldcup22
— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) November 10, 2022
(from Super12)
Opening stand runs per over
9.26 - NZ
9.25 - Eng
8.83 - SAf
8.76 - Ban
7.87 - Ire
7.05 - SL
6.65 - Zim
6.42 - Pak
6.31 - Aus
6.27 - Afg
5.58 - Ned
4.98 - INDIA (88 runs in 106 balls)#T20WorldCup #IndvEng #IndvsEng#EngvInd
And so is this. ‘Whisper it’ indeed. If any Indian fans would like Booth’s phone number, I have a nuanced attitude towards bribery.
Revealing stuff. Whisper it, but Kohli is part of the problem - despite the drama of the Pakistan win. https://t.co/0NHm0Yukx7
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) November 10, 2022
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“What an outstanding win!” says Colum Fordham. “Not in my wildest dreams did I think England would coast to victory over such a (potentially) good India team.
“Faced with three hours of teaching that clashed perfectly with the match, I managed to introduce my Italian pupils to the world of cricket as an excuse to follow the contest while allegedly teaching them English. They were a bit bemused to begin with but gradually became interested in the rules and were cheering for the players in red (no moral suasion or attempt to please teacher). The players in red are winning/losing… etc.
Hales (211) and Buttler (199) have scored 58 per cent of England’s runs at this tournament, and that includes extras. Fifty-eight is the operative number: that’s how many runs Ben Stokes, the next highest scorer, has made.
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How to finish a World Cup semi-final, part 1 of 1
🏴 ENGLAND ARE INTO THE #T20WORLDCUP FINAL! 🏴
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 10, 2022
It’s been a demolition job from Buttler and Hales! India are beaten by 10 wickets! 💥
England will face Pakistan at the MCG on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/8x3Of8amw8
Right, enough of the celebrations, let’s get this pessimism party started
“What an amazing game!” says Jacob Reed. “I’m worried, though, that it looks like England at the Rugby World Cup in 2019… destroyed the All Blacks in the semi then fell flat in the final as there was nowhere else to go.”
But they also, as Mike Atherton has just pointed out on Sky, hammered Australia in the semis in the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴🏴
— Liam Livingstone (@liaml4893) November 10, 2022
Eight flags for Liam Livingstone, which might be a subtle comment on the fact that Phil Salt, Harry Brook and Moeen Ali all won the Thanks for Coming award.
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Match report
Simon Burnton had the considerable pleasure of being at the Adelaide Oval tonight. Here’s his report on a mind-blowing England victory.
More from Jos Buttler. He’s buzzing
You couldn’t ask for a better runchase. I ummed and aahed over the toss, but gut feel said to chase today. India are sometimes more dangerous when they know what target they need. I thought Adil Rashid was outstanding; that’s the best I’ve seen him bowl in a long while. I thought he was our best chance to pick up wickets and he got the key one of Suryakumar.
The dimensions of this ground suited Chris Jordan and I thought he bowled fantastically well. I don’t think CJ was thanking me too much for bowling him three overs in a row at the death. I thought it was an incredible effort.
It’s too soon to say whether Dawid or Mark will be fit for Sunday. We’ve seen quite a lot of Pakistan recently; they’ve found some great form. At the moment we’re just excited to be in the final. We had the stress of trying to get through the group stages and now we’re in the final.
Jos Buttler’s verdict
[Is that the perfect game?] It feels that way, against such a good side. We always want to start as fast as we can with the bat and be really aggressive. A long batting line-up gives you a lot of freedom. Alex was so hard to bowl to today. We complement each other well and he was fantastic today. We’ll enjoy this win but we know there’s one big dance to go.
Rohit Sharma’s verdict
It’s pretty disappointing. I thought we batted pretty well at the back end, but we were not good enough with the ball. We just didn’t turn up.
It’s all about handling pressure [in the knockout stages]. We have played enough IPL cricket to understand that. The way we started off with the ball was not ideal, which shows we were a bit nervy. You have to give credit to those openers too; they played really well.
The new ball swung a bit for Bhuvi but not from the right areas. We wanted to keep it tight on the stumps. That’s a little disappointing. If you don’t execute your plans, you’ll find yourself in trouble.
A quick plug for the Spin
The thoughts of Adil Rashid, who bowled marvellously and took the wicket of Suryakumar Yadav
Lovely. One more game and hopefully we’ll get there. I thought we bowled exceptionally well – we were happy chasing 169. There was a bit of turn. You have to get used to being able to bowl in the first Powerplay, I’ve been practising that so that I’m ready if the captain needs me.
[The openers] played magnificently. When they’re in that form nobody can stop them. There was no chat about the approach – just, ‘Boys, go do your thing.’ The job’s not done yet. One more game – play the way we play and hopefully we’ll get over the line.
The player of the match is Alex Hales
It’s a huge occasion, India in a World Cup semi-final, and I’m really happy with the way I played – it’s as special as it gets. This is one of the best grounds in the world to bat on, especially in the Powerplay.
I never thought I’d play in a World Cup again, so to get the chance – in a country I love – is very special.
So, 30 years on from Wasim Akram’s ball of the millennium, England will play Pakistan in another final at the MCG. We thought their seven-match series was a World Cup warm-up; turns out it was a World Cup final warm-up.
The partnership of 170 is the highest for any wicket in a men’s T20 World Cup. Buttler can’t stop beaming as he embraces his team mates. He set the tone by taking 12 off the first over from his nemesis Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and then Alex Hales went ballistic. Buttler almost caught him up with a starburst of strokes at the end.
Buttler 80* (49 balls, 9x4, 3x6)
Hales 86* (47 balls, 4x4, 7x6)
And we still don’t know who was down to bat at No3.
ENGLAND WIN BY 10 WICKETS!!!!
16th over: England 170-0 (target 169; Buttler 80, Hales 86) Hales backs away to clatter a slower short ball from Shami over extra cover for four. It almost went for six. Dear me, this is savage.
Buttler finishes an unbelievable runchase in the grand manner, pinging Shami back over his head for one last six. He takes over his helmet, leans back and roars to the heavens.
That, surely, is the best T20 performance in England’s history. They have marmalised a great India team with ten wickets and 24 balls to spare.
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15th over: England 156-0 (target 169; Buttler 71, Hales 81) A quiet over from Axar Patel, two from it. Both batters have faced 45 balls; Buttler has a strike rate of 158, Hales 180.
“This is like Brazil losing 7-1 to Germany,” says Vivek Jaitly. “Only if India manages to take a wicket here.”
Ah but Brazil were hosts. That’s what gave it an extra layer of WTF.
14th over: England 154-0 (target 169; Buttler 70, Hales 80) Jos Buttler took a mid-innings break to admire Alex Hales from the non-striker’s end, but he’s back to his spine-tingling best. He dumps Shami over extra cover for four and then makes room to launch a 100-metre six straight down the ground. That’s an unreal shot.
He tries again next ball, doesn’t get hold of it and is dropped by Suryakumar Yadav running back from mid-off. To compound India’s abundant misery he can only punch the ball to the boundary for four more.
“I’m all for a redemption arc but Alex Hales was banned for recreational drug use and the captain refused to pick him after this,” says Niall Mullen. “Seems tough but fair?”
I think it’s the length of the ostracism that most people were unhappy about. I can see both sides, and not only because my subconscious is so terrified of cancel culture that I haven’t expressed an opinion since 2018. Look, I’m sorry, I just don’t feel that strongly either way about Marmite.
Another great stat from Tim
England spinners: 7-0-41-1
India spinners: 5-0-55-0
“Wasn’t expecting that!”
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13th over: England 140-0 (target 169; Buttler 56, Hales 80) Hales backs away, Pandya follows him, and Hales muscles the ball over mid-on for three.
Buttler scoops the next ball for four, a particularly good shot because Pandya followed him outside off stump. And then he reaches his half-century with a stunning flat six over midwicket. England are taking India to the cleaners.
“At the moment,” says Harsha Bhogle on commentary, “it looks like a contest between two boxers from different weight categories.”
12th over: England 123-0 (target 169; Buttler 42, Hales 77) Ravichandran Ashwin returns to the attack. He bowled a very good first over, even though it went for 12.
England are so far ahead of the rate that they are able to work Ashwin around for low-risk ones and twos. Buttler hasn’t hit a boundary since the last ball of the Powerplay; with Hales running amok, he hasn’t needed to.
There he goes again! Hales gets down on one knee to dump Ashwin over backward square leg for six more. That’s his seventh six, which equals Jason Roy’s record for an England opener in T20Is. The overall record is Liam Livingstone’s nine, and it’s imperilled.
This is sensational stuff from Hales, up there with his amazing hundred against Sri Lanka in 2014. He slaughters Ashwin’s last ball to the cover boundary to move to 77 from 40 balls. England now need less than a run a ball.
11th over: England 108-0 (target 169; Buttler 38, Hales 66) Pandya’s first ball is pulled flat and hard over midwicket by Hales. That’s his sixth six – I SAID THAT’S HIS SIXTH SIX - and it brings up the century partnership from just 64 balls.
It’s so easy to think of Hales as a punisher, and by heaven does he punish, but his shot selection has been immaculate tonight. We probably don’t give him enough credit for his intelligence.
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10th over: England 98-0 (target 169; Buttler 37, Hales 57) England won the Ashes in 2005 because Glenn McGrath hurt his ankle during a game of rugby. If they win this tournament, it might be because Jonny Bairstow decided to have a round of golf.
His replacement, Alex Hales, is batting formidably. He smashes the new bowler Arshdeep’s first ball through wide mid-off for four, then survives a potential run-out chance when Buttler’s straight drive hits the stumps at the non-striker’s end. Hales was well out of his ground, but Arshdeep didn’t get a touch.
There are still five overs of spin remaining; if India are to pull off a stunning victory, they will be key. England need 71 from 60 balls.
Drinks Rishabh Pant needs treatment, so the umpires have called drinks an over ahead of schedule. Rohit Sharma takes the opportunity to get his team in a huddle and ask them what the eff they’re playing at.
9th over: England 91-0 (target 169; Buttler 34, Hales 51) Buttler gets a peculiar all-run four. He scooped the new bowler Pandya to third man, where Shami tried a simple relay throw to the supporting fielder. And it all went wrong, big time. It went over the fielder’s head and allowed England to turn two into four.
“They could still lose of course,” says Nick Butler, “but Hales showing in this and the previous two matches - all of which were must-win games, just how bizarre and damaging Morgan’s excessive personal vendetta against Hales has been.”
I don’t know. It felt harsh, but I’m loath to judge without knowing exactly what happened. We shouldn’t forget is that Hales would only have been a back-up in 2019 (although he would have played when Jason Roy was injured). One thing’s for sure: that post-match interview the other day redefined the word ‘awkward’.
"As good as it gets, it would be an absolute dream!" 🤩🤞
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 5, 2022
Alex Hales on the prospect of winning the T20 World Cup 🏴 pic.twitter.com/v228drNVLi
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8th over: England 84-0 (target 169; Buttler 30, Hales 50) A lamentable short ball from Axar Patel is munched over cow corner by Hales. That’s his fifth six – as Tim de Lisle notes, that’s already as many as Hardik – and a single off the last ball takes him to an accomplished, occasionally brutal half-century from 28 balls. England need 85 from 72 balls.
“Evening Rob,” says Phil Withall. “Watching this pair bat, the way they are starting to dominate, they way their mindset is so perfectly predisposed to taking the game to India. I would like to retract my previous, petty comment. Bring on the trumpets…”
Well, if you insist.
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7th over: England 75-0 (target 169; Buttler 29, Hales 42) Hardik Pandya was going to bowl, but because he was off the field for a while it will be Ravichandran Ashwin instead. Pandya can bowl the next over.
Ashwin’s second ball turns appreciably to hit Buttler on the pad. There’s an appeal for a bat/pad catch to the keeper but the umpire isn’t interested; nor is Rohit Sharma.
It’s a really good over from Ashwin, with plenty of encouragement for India, but Hales keeps England moving with another sweep round the corner for six. He has 42 from 23 balls and is playing beautifully.
6th over: England 63-0 (target 169; Buttler 28, Hales 33) Let’s not get carried away. England were 70-0 after six overs against Sri Lanka and only just reached a target of 142. But jeez, they are going outrageously well at the moment. Hales sweeps Axar over backward square leg for his third six.
England have coming flying out of the blocks in the chase! 💪#T20WorldCup semi-final on Sky Sports Cricket. pic.twitter.com/tBHhzhB4b9
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 10, 2022
Buttler clunks a pull not far short of midwicket – but he ends the over by crashing a pull stroke over the same fielder for four.
In their last three Powerplays, against New Zealand, Sri Lanka and now India, England have 181-0 from 18 overs.
Terrific hitting this. The first thought is to hit over the field (unlike india who were largely trying to hit through it)
— Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) November 10, 2022
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5th over: England 52-0 (target 169; Buttler 24, Hales 26) Mohammed Shami replaces Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2-0-25-0). Hales backs away to pump his second delivery over mid-off for a big six. For the third game in a row, England’s openers are doing serious damage in the Powerplay.
Hales slashes between keeper and slip for four to bring up a rapid fifty partnership from 31 balls. I’m pretty sure this is the first time in England’s T20 history that they’ve had three consecutive opening stands of 50 or more.
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4th over: England 41-0 (target 169; Buttler 24, Hales 15) Now then. With two right-handers at the crease, the left-arm spinner Axar Patel is coming on. Buttler backs away to chip his first ball over extra cover for a one-bounce four. That’s an imperious statement of intent.
He tries a similar stroke next ball, but doesn’t middle it and only just clears the fielder running back from cover. In fact it was Pandya, who must have come back on the field between overs.
The ball seems to be stopping in the pitch a bit for Patel, and England are happy to milk the remainder of the over. Eight from it. England need 128 from 96 balls.
3rd over: England 33-0 (target 169; Buttler 18, Hales 13) Hardik Pandya is off the field, receiving treatment to his left hand. It doesn’t look serious, so I’m sure he’ll be okay to bowl.
It’s Kumar to Hales for the first time. With Pant standing back, the England openers are walking down the pitch quite a lot to counter the swing. Hales does exactly that to launch an emphatic six over extra cover. A handful of ones and twos make it a really good over for England – 12 from it.
2nd over: England 21-0 (target 169; Buttler 17, Hales 2) The brilliant left-armer Arshdeep Singh, India’s leading wicket-taker in the tournament, shares the new ball. Alex Hales is vulnerable to left-arm inswing – which right-hander isn’t – and leading-edges the first ball through the covers for a single.
Buttler thick edges through backward point for another boundary, which takes him to 16 from seven balls, but Arshdeep closes out the over very well. When Buttler drives a low full toss to mid-off, Kohli throws at the non-striker’s end and seems to warn Hales about backing up illegally. Do bookies offer odds on a Mankad?
1st over: England 13-0 (target 169; Buttler 12, Hales 0) Buttler walks down the track to his first ball, offering no stroke to an outswinger that is harshly called wide. India’s response is instant – the wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant calls for a helmet and moves up to the stumps. Great stuff.
Buttler reaches outside off stump to crack the first legitimate delivery of the innings through extra cover for four, then – with Pant now standing back again - does the same to the third ball. So much for England having a look.
Kumar responds beautifully to beat Buttler with consecutive deliveries – the first wide and full, the second shorter and straight. And Buttler responds to the response with a measured stroke to the midwicket boundary. Blimey, what a start.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar will bowl the first over. Of course he will.
England most definitely have the batting line up to chase this down, they’ve proven that on a number of occasions, but I feel India’s got this one. Just the thought of an India/Pakistan final makes my heart beat faster. Hardik & Ashwin to take the match winning poles imo
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) November 10, 2022
Updated
“What’s your opinion of a par total in this wicket?” says Chris Heron.
Not a clue. But with the pressure of chasing, I reckon India are slight favourites. I’m also worried about the short turnaround for Buttler, who must have been frazzled by that Pandya assault.
The players are back out on the field. It’s been said a gazillion times in the last 48 hours, but the contest between Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jos Buttler could be pivotal. Don’t be surprised if Buttler and Alex Hales take a couple of overs to get their eye in.
ENGLAND NEED 169 TO WIN
For much of that innings, England had a degree of control. But with India there is usually chaos at the death, and today was no exception. They (I say they, it was mainly Hardik Pandya) smashed 88 from the last seven overs to take India to what feels like a par total.
A word for Chris Jordan, whose figures of 4-0-43-3 don’t do justice to some very good death bowling.
#INDvENG Stunning display from #HardikPandya, doing SKY's job for him. And the way he soaked up the acclaim on reaching 50 was just regal
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) November 10, 2022
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WICKET! India 168-6 (Pandya hit wicket 63)
Pandya times Jordan devastatingly over midwicket for six, then pulls a full toss for four. He whips the last ball to the boundary as well – but treads on his stumps in the process and is out hit wicket. Those four lost runs might be vital. Even so, that’s an awesome innings from Hardik Pandya: 63 from 33 balls with five sixes, including 59 from his last 24 deliveries.
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WICKET! India 158-5 (Pant run out 6)
Pant blazes a wide full toss for a single, which brings the rampant Pandya back on strike. He pings a yorker to the cover sweeper for a single, an outrageously good shot for one, and then Pant misses a wide yorker.
Pandya charges down the wicket, deliberately running Pant out so that he can regain the strike. In the circumstances, that’s smart cricket. (Had it been a catch, the new batter would have been on strike, but because it was a run out they are allowed to cross.)
Three balls remaining.
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Chris Jordan will bowl the last over…
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19th over: India 156-4 (Pandya 52, Pant 5) Sam Curran’s last over disappears for 20! Pant makes room to carve his first ball over backward point for four, then flicks a sizzling yorker for a single.
Another wide yorker is steered deftly for four by Pandya, who then pulls a monstrous six over midwicket. The over finishes with a vicious clip towards cow corner that not even the diving Stokes can stop. That brings up a punishing half-century from Pandya. He scored 4 from his first 9 deliveries; he’s belted 48 from the last 20.
Sam Curran, England’s premier death bowler, finishes with R-rated figures of 4-0-42-0.
Ben Stokes like half the population at Christmas: face full of Toblerone
— Ali Martin (@Cricket_Ali) November 10, 2022
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18th over: India 136-4 (Pandya 37, Pant 0) That was a fine catch from Rashid, and it ends a seriously eventful over. The new batter is Rishabh Pant.
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WICKET! India 136-4 (Kohli c Rashid b Jordan 50)
Virat Kohli is out, and if that doesn’t isn’t worth an exclamation mark then I don’t know what is! But first, let’s flash back to the start of the over…
Jordan tries to surprise Pandya with a short ball first up. Pandya surprises Jordan by swatting it in to the crowd at midwicket. That’s his second six, and he gets his third next ball with an incredible shot. Jordan didn’t quite nail a leg-stump yorker, and Pandya helicopter-flicked it sweetly over backward square leg.
Jordan, who was tagged at the death in last year’s semi-final, must be having flashbacks. But his response is admirable: a bouncer that beats Pandya and then a perfect yorker that Pandya can only squeeze for a single.
Kohli drives two through extra cover to bring up his usual half-century: 39 balls, four fours, one six. But he falls next ball, squirting a wide yorker to Rashid at short third man. Virat Kohli is out!
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17th over: India 121-3 (Kohli 48, Pandya 24) Here comes Sam Curran. He’s been England’s banker at the death in this tournament, but this is an entirely different challenge.
His first ball is short, wide and slammed savagely over the short square boundary for six by Pandya. Kohli punches the air with delight.
The next ball is heaved to deep square leg, where the sprawling Hales does very well to save two runs. Curran nails a wide yorker that is scrunched down the ground, with the non-striker Kohli scarpering back for two. That’s excellent running.
But it’s also an excellent comeback from Curran: six from the first ball, five from the next five.
Three overs to go, and there is absolutely no consensus about what would be a par score.
Don't think this pitch is totally straightforward. 170 could be a winning score
— simon hughes (@theanalyst) November 10, 2022
Need a big finish. This isn't enough on this surface. Need 160 minimum by the look of it
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) November 10, 2022
16th over: India 110-3 (Kohli 48, Pandya 13) Kohli smiles at his reprieve and then drives Jordan’s next ball through extra cover for four. Glorious batting.
A misfield from Livingstone gives him a single, and then Pandya pulls another to deep square. India score 10 for the third consecutive over.
KOHLI IS NOT OUT!
Well, I thought it was plumb but in fact it was only clipping leg stump. That means it’s umpire’s call and Kohli survives. I can’t decide whether that’s a remarkably good decision from Paul Reiffel or a really poor one.
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15.2 overs: India 102-3 (Kohli 43, Pandya 10) Chris Jordan has bowled 10,000 yorkers in the nets, all for a moment like this. If all goes to plan, he’ll be out form this end. He starts inauspiciously, with a leg-side wide to Pandya, and then knocks Kohli off his feet with a sensational yorker.
Paul Reiffel says not out but England go for the review. If it’s pad first, it’s plumber than plumb.
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15th over: India 100-3 (Kohli 43, Pandya 9) Livingstone does indeed continue; I suspect this is Woakes’s fourth over that he’s bowling, which would love three from Jordan and two from Curran.
After his usual watchful start, four from nine balls, Pandya smears a terrifying boundary just past the umpire’s head. After a couple of useful dot balls for England, Kohli waves a superb boundary through extra cover. Not even Jordan, running round from long off, could stop that.
India have scored ten from each of the last two overs. If they keep that up they’ll get to 150 – but I suspect they’ll be eyeing closer to 170.
England going with the short straight on fielder (technically short straight hit, but that's not as good a name)
— Jarrod Kimber (@ajarrodkimber) November 10, 2022
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14th over: India 90-3 (Kohli 38, Pandya 4) Kohli slashes Woakes past short third man for four, his first boundary since the seventh over. He is so good at vrooming through the gears at the death, so England won’t feel remotely comfortable while he is at the crease.
Woakes is wided when Pandya misses a hook stroke. It looked pretty clear to me. A single off every other delivery makes it ten from the over.
13th over: India 80-3 (Kohli 31, Pandya 2) Livingstone returns, and Pandya edges consecutive deliveries just short of a fielder, first short third man and then backward point.
There’s a bit in this pitch for the spinners, which will interest Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin. A good over from Livingstone, three from it. England have filled their fifth-bowler quota, though they might give Livingstone another one after that.
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12th over: India 77-3 (Kohli 29, Pandya 1) Rashid ends another masterful spell with figures of 4-0-20-1. The only boundary he conceded was off his first delivery.
The level of difficulty to hit a spinner for 6 over extra cover, is right up there. Off seamers it’s way easier cos of the pace on the ball.
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) November 10, 2022
Off a spinner you have to make the pace and absolutely cream it!
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WICKET! India 75-3 (Suryakumar c Salt b Rashid 14)
Adil Rashid has picked up the big wicket! Suryakumar charged down the track and sliced the ball high in the air towards deep point, where Phil Salt took a simple catch. It was a really good delivery, slower and turning just enough to take the edge. Suryakumar goes for 14 from 10 balls; England will take that all day and all of the night.
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11th over: India 74-2 (Kohli 27, Suryakumar 14) Ben Stokes returns to the attack. The first ball beats Suryakumar’s attempted violence, but you can’t keep him quiet forever. Or even 10 minutes. After a relatively slow start – 4 from 7 balls – he lifts a spectacular hook over the keeper’s head for six. He probably didn’t mean it to go that fine, but he certainly intended it to for six. The next balls is blazed over extra cover for four. It’s on!
“Far too pumped for any rational analysis here,” writes Andy. “Perhaps harsh on Brook! V good take from Curran though and great over from Jordan.”
10th over: India 62-2 (Kohli 26, Suryakumar 3) Suryakumar sweeps Rashid off middle stump for a single. The ball drifted in nicely, and for a split-second England thought he was going to be plumb LBW.
Kohli, who is batting with formidable certainty, lifts two more down the ground. But then he berates himself for only managing to whack a full toss for a single.
This is good stuff from Rashid, 3-0-17-0. Time for drinks.
9th over: India 57-2 (Kohli 23, Suryakumar 1) SKY flicks his first ball to deep square for a single.
“Disagree that that was a minor chance for Brook (5th over),” writes Andy. “Went like a rocket but not at full stretch and got his full palm on... at least a half chance. Brook’s fielding has been iffy in tournament in general.”
Tough crowd!
WICKET! India 56-2 (Rohit c Curran b Jordan 27)
Chris Jordan, who is in for Mark Wood, replaces Livingstone. He doesn’t nail his yorker second ball, and Rohit pings him imperiously over extra cover for a one-bounce four. The non-striker Kohli punches his bat in celebration.
But – pick this cheesy segue out – it’s England who are celebrating later in the over when Rohit falls for 27! He smeared Jordan high over midwicket, and Curran ran in from the boundary before diving forward to take a superb two-handed catch.
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for Suryakumar Yadav.
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8th over: India 51-1 (Rohit 23, Kohli 22) A moment of fortune for Rohit, who has a hack at Rashid and slices the ball on the bounce to short third man. There’s a bit of turn for Rashid and India are happy enough with five singles from the over.
Rohit has 23 from 24 balls, Kohli 22 from 19.
7th over: India 46-1 (Rohit 21, Kohli 19) Liam Livingstone replaces Sam Curran (2-0-11-0). Kohli smashes the first ball he faces back over the bowler’s head for four, a shot of delicious contempt, and there are eight runs from the over.
This, as Mike Atherton notes, is where England would love to have Mark Wood around to cause some mayhem.
And this is another absurd Kohli stat.
Kohli's record of surviving World Cup PP continues: it's now 168 balls since his last (& only dismissal in the phase). England took the first three overs (11 for 1); India fought back in the next three (27 for 0). Rohit employing the sweep early v Rashid. #T20WorldCup
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) November 10, 2022
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6th over: India 38-1 (Rohit 20, Kohli 12) A statement of intent from Rohit, who sweeps Adil Rashid’s first ball emphatically for four. There was a time when Rashid went nowhere near the Powerplay but he has bowled the sixth over a few times in this tournament, most crucially against Sri Lanka.
Rashid pulls the over back pretty well, with just three singles from the last five balls. There was almost the chance of a return catch when Rohit smacked the last ball back towards the bowler. Rashid dived low to his left but couldn’t quite get there.
“England have 11 batters, seven bowlers and two wicketkeepers and a captain who seems to understand his options,” says Gary Naylor. “It doesn’t guarantee success, but it doesn’t half help.”
True, although so does having specialists like Virat, Suryakumar, Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep.
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5th over: India 31-1 (Rohit 14, Kohli 11) Rohit’s off and running. He hits Curran through midwicket for successive boundaries, a languid clip followed by a flamboyant tennis shot. He smashes the next ball towards backward point, where the flying Brook puts down an almost impossible one-handed chance. Technically it’s a drop; in reality he saved three runs.
An eventful over continues with an unsuccessful LBW appeal against Kohli. I thought England might review, just because it’s Kohli, but Jos Buttler was calm enough to realise it had pitched outside leg. This is great stuff!
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4th over: India 21-1 (Rohit 5, Kohli 10) Blimey. Kohli drives Woakes’s first ball magnificently over extra cover for six. A single takes him to 1100 runs in T20 World Cups, at the obscene average of 85, and there are 10 runs from the over.
Rohit is struggling to time it, though we’ve seen him do this in the past and end with 110 off 70 balls.
“I wonder if Buttler’s decision to bowl first is a self-challenge?” says John Starbuck. “There have been a fair few wicketkeeper-openers and it’s always seemed odd to me, since after a full innings of keeping they have to get their batting gear on and play a hugely important role. Are there any stats about the really good keeper-openers, especially those who captain, and their success rates?”
You want to talk about this now? (Buttler’s record isn’t very good when opening, captaining, keeping and batting second: 93 runs at 13.28.)
3rd over: India 11-1 (Rohit 4, Kohli 2) Sam Curran angles his first ball across Kohli, who pushes nervously and is beaten. The next ball is shorter and does take the edge, but it drops just short of Moeen at slip. Sheesh, that was close.
Curran concedes just a single from a terrific over, which ends with an unsuccessful (and more than a little optimistic) LBW appeal against Rohit. England have started really well.
WICKET! India 9-1 (Rahul c Buttler b Woakes 5)
Gottim! Chris Woakes strikes with his fourth ball. It kicked from back of a length, and Rahul edged a flashing cut stroke through to Jos Buttler.
That was smart bowling from Woakes, whose first three deliveries had been full and straight, too straight in fact, to Rohit Sharma. This was much shorter, much wider, and seemed to take Rahul a bit by surprise.
"England have drawn first blood!" ☝
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 10, 2022
Woakes removes Rahul, so here comes Virat Kohli...
Watch England vs India in the #T20WorldCup semi-final on Sky Sports Cricket. pic.twitter.com/mlRts2GnGe
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1st over: India 6-0 (Rahul 5, Rohit 1) And they’re off. Stokes’s first ball is a wide outswinger that KL Rahul back cuts for four. “This looks, already, a very, very good pitch,” says Ravi Shastri, after two balls.
There’s a bit of swing for Stokes, and Rohit Sharma is beaten chasing a full, wide delivery. Rohit pushes the next ball to mid-off to get off the mark, and then Rahul plays and misses at an excellent delivery. A fascinating first over, with something for everyone. Okay not everyone.
“Good evening from Brisbane,” says Phil Withall. “I have a small problem. I want England to win, I really want England to win. However, the prospect of 100,000 Indian and Pakistani fans in the MCG is rather exciting. The repetitive drone that is the Barmy Army does get more than a tad repetitive for my tastes. I may be being unfair, I admire their undying support and commitment but the trumpet…”
You want to talk about trumpets now?
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Ben Stokes will bowl the first over. England would love an early wicket or seven.
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The players line up for the anthems. Some look relaxed, others intense. There’s more than one gameface for an occasion like this.
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Both teams get what they want at the toss. Kohli chasing factor removed. Wood out is a big blow for England. The Green Machine awaits… 🏴🇮🇳 🇵🇰
— mark butcher (@markbutcher72) November 10, 2022
I’m off to grab a coffee. See you in a bit for – gulp – India v England in the World Cup semi-final.
“Rob,” says Yog Wadhwa, “Indians are without their first-choice fast bowler and spinning allrounder - Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.”
I know, I was being flippant. It shows the depth of both squads that the first XIs still look so strong. I’d fancy an India C team to make the semi-finals.
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“Your mention of India winning the last four series between the teams got me thinking about the unpredictability of T20 as the chaos theory version of cricket,” says Tom Van der Gucht. “Everything, at some point, as to happen: England are therefore due a win against them... Hopefully…
“But, in terms of the cricketing gods playing a larger game with the teams merely their chess pieces, a final between Pakistan and India would be the more glorious conclusion… So, I suppose it comes down to the old clash between science and religion as to who will progress.”
England are without almost half of their best T20 XI – Bairstow, Malan, Archer, Wood and Topley. Let’s get the excuses in early, eh.
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Team news: Wood misses out
Mark Wood has failed his fitness test and is replaced by Chris Jordan. That might be a blessing in disguise for England, although of course England would love Wood’s breathtaking pace. The only other change is Phil Salt for Dawid Malan. Salt is carded to bat at No3, though Eoin Morgan says he would open with him because of his ability to go hard from ball one in the Powerplay.
India are unchanged, which means Rishabh Pant – another hitter who is very strong square of the wicket – is preferred to Dinesh Karthik. Look at that middle order, and gulp if you’re an England fan: Kohli, Suryakumar, Pant, Pandya.
India KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh.
England Buttler (c/wk), Hales, Salt, Stokes, Brook, Ali, Livingstone, Curran, Woakes, Jordan, Rashid.
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England win the toss and bowl
Well that’s interesting. England have been nervous chasers this year, but it’s been their preferred approach since the revolution in 2015.
Rohit Sharma drily notes that India would have batted anyway.
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It’s a beautiful evening in Adelaide, so you can put the DLS sheet away. The pitch is used, though it’s nearly a week since the last game so the curator has had plenty of time to freshen it up. All the commentators think it looks like a belter.
The toss isn’t straightforward, not least because – absurd statgasm alert – all 11 T20Is on this ground have been won by the team that lost the toss. Psychologically, batting first important for England but the can come on nicely under the lights.
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Early team news
Dawid Malan is definitely out with a groin injury, and Mark Wood is doubtful. Phil Salt and Chris Jordan – whose yorkers are a good option on a ground with such short square boundaries – are likely to come in.
India have one big decision to make: Dinesh Karthik or Rishabh Pant.
Simon Burnton’s big-match preview
Preamble
At last. Since white-ball cricket was invented in 2015, England and India have been the best teams in the world. But in that time, they have danced around each other at major tournaments. They’ve met only once, never in the knockout stages. They were on course for a humdinger of a final in 2016 (World T20), 2017 (Champions Trophy) and especially 2019 (World Cup), but on each occasion one of them was beaten in the semi-finals.
They won’t meet in the final this year either, but we’ll happily make do with a blockbusting semi-final: India v England in Adelaide for the right to play – oh yes – a rampant Pakistan in the final on Sunday. It’s been a long time coming. But unlike many long-awaited rumbles – Mayweather v Pacquiao, Tyson v Lewis, Barlow v Baldwin – this will take place with both parties close to their peak.
Though England and India each have a bigger rival, their matches still have a unique intensity. (Don’t mention the M word, but keep an eye out for it if the game gets fractious.) There is also huge mutual respect, fostered mainly through the IPL. Both teams recognise in each other the thing that elite sportsfolk crave the most: a worthy adversary.
India go into today’s game as slight favourites. They’ve won their last four T20 series against England, which must count for something; they are No1 in the world rankings and have played better cricket than England in this tournament – even though, paradoxically, they were closer to the brink during their win over Bangladesh. There’s also a argument that India are under more pressure to win – firstly because they haven’t won a global tournament since 2013, secondly because they are India, thirdly because they are India.
England, as an endearingly candid Moeen Ali said the other day, would like another white-ball trophy to confirm their greatness. They have a history of raising their game for the toughest opponents, certainly at World Cups, and a few key players – Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Mark Wood (though he is an injury doubt), Sam Curran – are bang in form. If you are into the whole positive-accentuation thing, those who aren’t in form are due.
Buttler’s new-ball contest with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has caused him all sorts of trouble in the recent past*, could be vital. England also need plans for Virat Kohli, who averages 123 in this tournament and a scandalous 84 at all T20 World Cups – and for Suryakumar Yadav, the freest spirit in world cricket.
Suryakumar should love the short square boundaries at the Adelaide Oval. England could do with – here comes the cheesy pun – a bit of blue-SKY thinking, because nobody seems to have a clue how to bowl to a man who can hit any ball for six. It might just be an extended purple patch, but at the moment it feels like he is redefining middle-order batting. He has a T20I strike rate of 180, and abracadabrad 117 from 55 balls against England in the summer.
The good news for England is that they won that game. The bad news is that it was a dead rubber because they’d already lost the series. In short, nobody knows anything, but it’s England v India in a World Cup knockout game for the first time since Graham Gooch’s sweepathon in 1987**. If your mouth isn’t watering, you should seek urgent medical advice.
* In T20Is Buttler has scored 30 from 32 balls off Bhuvneshwar – and been dismissed five times
** The infamous group game in 1999 was effectively a knockout, though that only became apparent at the start of the second innings
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