Mumbai, March 5 – Jacob Bethell scored a brilliant century, but his innings ultimately proved unsuccessful as India, thanks to superb bowling by Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, secured a seven-run victory in the second semi-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, advancing India to the final for the second consecutive time.
Bethell smashed 50 runs in 19 balls and 100 in 45 balls, keeping England in the game. With the target set at 253/7, set by India, with Sanju Samson scoring a brilliant 89, England needed 45 runs from 19 balls.
Bumrah bowled a remarkable 18th over, conceding only six runs, and Pandya followed up with nine runs and the crucial wicket of Sam Curran, effectively ending England's chances.
In the final, India will face New Zealand in Ahmedabad, aiming to win back-to-back titles. This is the first time a team has reached the final as defending champions. India has reached the final four times in the T20 World Cups, the most of any team.
England started aggressively, scoring 68 runs in the first six powerplay overs, despite dew making the conditions challenging. However, they lost three wickets, including captain Harry Brook, who had scored a century against Pakistan in the Super 8 match.
Phil Salt (5) was the first to go, miscuing a Hardik Pandya delivery to Axar Patel. England were 13/1 in the second over, and then 38/2. When captain Brook was caught by Jasprit Bumrah off his own bowling, making it 500th international victim for the Indian pace spearhead, England were 42/3.
With the stadium filled with chants of "Ganapati Bappa Moriya, Jeetaga bhai jeetega, India jeetega, and Vande Mataram," Varun Chakravarthy dismissed Jos Buttler (25 off 17 balls, 4x4, 1x6) in the penultimate ball of the sixth over, deceiving the batter with a flighted googly that missed the middle stump, leaving Buttler stranded. England were 64/3 at this point.
Bethell continued to dominate from the other end, scoring 50 in 19 balls, with three fours and five sixes. He started with a six off Bumrah, followed by a hat-trick of sixes off Chakravarthy in the sixth over, and a six off Pandya in the seventh over, followed by a four in the seventh over. Back-to-back boundaries off Chakravarthy in the ninth over took England past 100. He also smashed a four each off Bumrah, Chakravarthy, and Arshdeep in the middle overs, reaching his fifty.
Tom Banton hammered sixes off successive balls off Axar Patel before the spinner finally got him for 17 off five balls, reducing England to 95/5. However, the run-scoring continued, with every England batter trying to accelerate, as wickets continued to fall.
Bethell was the only batter who continued to perform consistently, adding 77 runs for the fifth wicket with Will Jacks, who contributed 35 runs off 20 balls (4x4, 2x6). This partnership brought joy to the crowd, but India remained in a precarious position as England were still ahead in the scorecard.
Bethell found another partner in Sam Curran, helping England to 200 in the 17th over. Bethell smashed sixes and fours off Arshdeep Singh, taking 16 runs from the over, moving into the 90s.
England needed 45 runs from the last three overs, and their hopes rested on Bethell. The Indians held their nerve with Bumrah bowling three pinpoint yorkers in the 18th over, conceding only six runs.
Bethell completed his century off 45 balls in the 19th over with a six off Hardik Pandya, with 8 fours and seven sixes. Pandya then got Curran for 18 runs off 14 balls, adding 50 runs in 26 balls for the sixth-wicket partnership.
Pandya conceded only nine runs and got Curran for 18 runs off 14 balls in the 19th over, leaving England needing 30 runs off the last six balls. India opted for Shivam Dube to bowl the decisive over.
India won the match as Bethell was run out off the first ball, attempting a double, leaving the strike. England were eliminated in the semi-final in the second successive T20 World Cup.
Brief Scores:
India 253/7 in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 89, Shivam Dube 43, Ishan Kishan 39; Will Jacks 2-40, Adil Rashid 2-41) beat England 246/7 in 20 overs (Jacob Bethell 105, Will Jacks 35; Hardik Pandya 2-38, Jasprit Bumrah 1-33, Axar Patel 1-35) by seven runs
