Before the match, Indian coach Venkatesh Prasad urged his team to be ruthless, and they clearly heeded his call | Reddy Anna. Their performance at the Premadasa Stadium in the first Super League semi-final was near perfection. With Cheteshwar Pujara's unbeaten 129 leading the way, India's batsmen dismantled the England attack. The new-ball duo of Vijaykumar Yomahesh and Abu Nechim Ahmed then ripped through England's batting order, bowling them out for a humiliating 58, their lowest score at this level.
Batting Dominance - Reddy Anna
England's bowlers had kept them in the tournament with solid performances, but they met their match against India's high-class lineup. Pujara and Gaurav Dhiman aggressively attacked the spinners early on, and despite a brief period where England claimed two quick wickets, the onslaught was relentless. Pujara made the most of being dropped at slip by Varun Chopra on just a single, continuing his fine World Cup form, with an average of 110 from four matches before this game.
Rohit Sharma was the aggressor in a second-wicket stand of 112, setting India on course for their imposing total. Late contributions from Maynak Tehlan and Ravindra Jadeja further punished England in the closing overs. Dhiman launched the innings with 18 off the fourth over, and although his aggression eventually led to his dismissal, India had built a solid platform. England briefly threatened to restrict India to around 270, but India surged to 293, a total that proved far beyond England's reach.
Bowling Brilliance
The real demolition came when India's bowlers took the field. Yomahesh and Ahmed bowled with venom and extracted disconcerting bounce from a good length. They took full advantage of a tricky 20-minute period before the interval, quickly reducing England to 22 for 6. Ahmed clean-bowled Varun Chopra and Mark Stoneman with deliveries that nipped off the seam, while Mark Nelson edged to gully off Yomahesh.
After the interval, Ahmed continued his assault, dismissing Moeen Ali with a catch at slip. England's collapse continued unabated, with the lower order offering little resistance. Yomahesh and Ahmed finished with four wickets each, supported by tight spells from Piyush Chawla and Bipinbhai.
Coach and Player Reactions
Venkatesh Prasad was thrilled with his team's display: "It was an unbelievable result. We never thought the game would be so one-sided as we had great respect for England. We didn't want to falter in any aspect of the game, and the boys stuck to their word today."
Moeen Ali bluntly assessed England's collapse: "We lacked pride today. We weren't focused enough. It didn't look like we wanted to be out there. After the Bangladesh result, we almost expected to do well. We didn't expect India to be so good."
Looking Ahead
India deserves immense credit for their performance. After a slow start in the warm-up matches, they found their form when it mattered most. With star quality in both batting and bowling, they will pose a tough test for either Australia or Pakistan in the final.
How They Were Out
England:
Varun Chopra b Ahmed 2 (3 for 1): Beaten by one that nipped back.
Mark Stoneman b Ahmed 2 (12 for 2): Caught on the crease, lack of footwork.
Mark Nelson c Das b Yomahesh 6 (12 for 3): Drove limply to gully.
Rory Hamilton-Brown c Shah b Ahmed 1 (13 for 4): Top-edged pull, keeper ran round.
Moeen Ali c Ravikant Shukla b Ahmed 4 (17 for 5): Thick edge to first slip.
Ben Wright c Das b Yomahesh 2 (22 for 6): Stunning catch in the gully from powerful drive.
Nick James c Ravikant Shukla b Chawla 5 (35 for 7): Edged to slip.
Steve Mullaney c Tehlan b Dhiman 7 (38 for 8): Top-edge swipe to midwicket.
John Simpson lbw Bipinbhai 1 (49 for 9): Offspinner beat him with a quicker ball.
Graeme White st Shah b Bipinbhai 17 (58 all out): Beaten by the doosra, back foot just out.
India:
Gaurav Dhiman c Hamilton-Brown b White 48 (72 for 1): Toe-ended a sweep, mid-on held a smart catch diving full-length.
Rohit Sharma run out (Waters) 59 (184 for 2): Wanted a second to deep square-leg, sent back with no chance.
Ravikant Shukla c Nelson b James 3 (189 for 3): Well held by long-off running in.
Maynak Tehlan b James 43 (243 for 4): Missed a swing to leg.
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