In a compelling contest, India emerged victorious against defending champions England. Batting first under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, India posted a total of 229/9, which, at the outset, was perceived as below par. Nevertheless, the Indian bowling unit displayed their prowess, dismantling the English side for a mere 129 runs in 34.5 overs.
England found themselves in a precarious position early on, losing key wickets, including Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, and Ben Stokes, within the first 10 overs. The downfall continued with the dismissals of Jos Buttler in the 15th over and Moeen Ali in the 25th over. At the halfway mark of their innings, England was struggling at 84/6. The lower-order batsmen couldn’t establish partnerships, and the team was eventually bowled out for 129 in the 35th over.
Before this, the England bowlers, led by David Willey, successfully contained India to a total of 229-9. Willey, a left-arm fast bowler, claimed three crucial wickets for 45 runs, including the prized scalp of Virat Kohli, who departed without scoring a run, in a must-win World Cup match for the defending champions on Sunday. England had opted to bowl first in their quest to maintain their slim chances of reaching the semi-finals.
England’s recent performance in the tournament has been lacklustre, with just one victory in their last five matches. Their sole win came against Bangladesh, where they secured a convincing 137-run victory. However, they faced defeats against New Zealand (losing by 9 wickets), Afghanistan (a 69-run loss), South Africa (a substantial 229-run defeat), and Sri Lanka (an 8-wicket loss).
Irish Samachar English News