IND vs ENG Review: India knock down defending champions England
The 28th match of the ongoing ODI World Cup 2023 took place at Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow, where India defeated England despite by a massive 100-run margin to extend their winning juggernaut.
England won the toss and chose to field first. India had to bat first for the first time World Cup and faced difficulties due to the unpredictable pitch. Rohit Sharma attacked early, hitting David Willey for two sixes in a fiery third over. Shubman Gill fell victim to Chris Woakes as the pitch’s uneven behaviour cost him his wicket.
The pitch’s unpredictability was evident. Virat Kohli struggled against David Willey, and Shreyas Iyer made a regrettable decision to pull a ball that wasn’t short enough. India were reeling at 40 for 3 in the 12th over. Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul then rebuilt India’s innings, with Rohit scoring briskly and even surviving an LBW appeal. Rohit’s brilliant innings ended when Adil Rashid dismissed him with a googly as he scored 87.
Suryakumar Yadav stepped up with a solid 49 and showcased his batting prowess before getting out in the 47th over. In the end, India posted a total of 229, with Rohit Sharma’s exceptional innings being the highlight.
Chasing the target, England started well and had reached 30 runs without losing a wicket in the fifth over. However, India’s premier fast bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, showcased his prowess and outperformed David Malan. Bumrah also removed number three batter, Joe Root on successive balls to bring India back into the game.
Then, Mohammad Shami removed Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes as well, leaving the defending champions struggling at 39 for four. England could never come out of the pressure in the chase after those four initial wickets and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja also bowled well, taking two and one wickets respectively. In the end, England were all out for just 129 runs, and India won the game by 100 runs to register their sixth straight win.
Top Performers of the Match
Rohit Sharma (87 of 101)
Rohit Sharma started aggressively, but the Indian team lost wickets from the other end. Then, Rohit realised that the pitch was not easy to bat on. He adjusted his game accordingly, playing a brilliant innings of 87 off 101 balls to help India reach a good total on a difficult wicket for batting. Although he missed his well-deserved century, his innings was crucial for India’s win in this match against the defending champions.
Mohammed Shami (4/23, 7.2overs)
The Indian team management had initially decided not to include Shami in the first four matches of the tournament. However, since he was included in the playing XI in place of Shardul Thakur, Shami showcased his real prowess with the ball. He bowled beautifully in this match as well, taking four crucial wickets to derail England’s chase.
What next?
Going ahead, India will play against Sri Lanka on November 2. While England will take on Australia on November 4.
