Team Blitz India
NEW DELHI: Skipper Rohit Sharma led from the front as India stunned defending champions England by 68 runs in the second semi-final match of T20 World Cup on June 27. With the fifth consecutive victory in the T20 World Cup, Team India booked their berth for the T20 World Cup finals against South Africa slated for June 29. India scored 171 for the loss of 7 wickets and shot England out for 103 in 16. 4 overs.
Skipper Rohit Sharma once again led the team from the front. He scored a blitzkrieg half-century (57) off just 39 balls studded with 6 rolling boundaries and 2 towering sixers. Second opener and ace Indian batter Virat Kohli, who has failed to impress with bat in this T20 World Cup, once again went back early after English pacer Reece Topley toppled his bails when he was playing on 9.
Next was young wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant to join Rohit Sharma, however, English bowlers had tasted the blood by the time and they did not allow the left-hander to settle down. He was caught within a few minutes of Virat Kohli’s departure. Rishabha Pant scored only 4 runs.
Then entered India’s Mr. 360 degree, Surya Kumar Yadav. Power hitter took a few balls to settle first and then punished the English bowling lineup with hard-hitting. Surya Kumar Yadav and Rohit Sharma steadied the ship to take the score above 100-run-mark.
Spinner Adil Rashid picked up Rohit Sharma’s wicket when India was 113. But by that time, the skipper had done his job and laid a strong foundation that helped middle-order batters to pin a respectable total
