India thrashed by ten wickets after batters score only 168 in Adelaide
\nONLINE
\nADELAIDE
\nEngland stormed into the Men\u2019s T20 World Cup final with a sensational 10-wicket demolition of India at the Adelaide Oval.
\nOpeners Jos Buttler and Alex Hales overcame a feverish India-supporting atmosphere and chased 169 without the loss of a wicket.
\nThey romped home with a massive 24 balls to spare to set up a final against Pakistan on Sunday and seal one of England\u2019s greatest white-ball wins.
\nHales ended 86 not out from 47 and Buttler unbeaten on 80 from 49, the England skipper clinching the match with the pair\u2019s 10th six.
\nEarlier, England\u2019s bowlers had restricted India well before Hardik Pandya\u2019s 63 from 33 balls powered his side to what had looked a testing score.
\nBut Hales, recalled after more than three years in the international wilderness, gave England a rapid start and Buttler continued the onslaught.
\nIt denies the tournament what would have been a mouth-watering India-Pakistan finale, instead ensuring a repeat of the famous 1992 50-over World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).
\nThis was supposed to be the night India joined their great rivals in what would have been one of the great sporting finals.
\nA frenzied crowd was expectant but by the end, a small pocket of England fans were jubilant, the quietened India supporters drifting away.
\nEngland\u2019s bowling effort, without Mark Wood because of injury and up against India\u2019s batting line-up of superstars, was tidy and disciplined, until they were knocked off course by Hardik\u2019s late blitz.
\nThe batting was simply stunning.
\nThe imperious Buttler settled any nerves by taking three fours from the first over before he and Hales dispatched both pace and spin in seemingly effortless fashion.
\nAs the final majestic strike cleared the fielder and boundary at long-on, Buttler whipped off his helmet and roared with delight.
\nA campaign that was floundering after defeat by Ireland two weeks ago could still end in glory.
\nPakistan, who have produced their own remarkable recovery to reach the showpiece, were beaten 4-3 by England in a seven-match T20 series in their own backyard last month.
\nEleven overs into the chase India\u2019s ragged fielders looked beaten, the ball repeatedly travelling to, or over, the boundary rope.
\nButtler was dropped on 66 at mid-off by Suryakumar Yadav, with the ball ricocheting off his body and beyond Virat Kohli for four, but by then the contest was over.
\nHaving opted to chase on a used pitch, Hales and Buttler took on Adelaide\u2019s short square boundaries to race along consistently at 10 runs per over.
\nThey took 63 from the powerplay – a clear contrast to India\u2019s 38-1 – and did not look back.
\nThis was Hales\u2019 greatest night in his England career, a career that looked over when he was unceremoniously dropped on the eve of the 2019 World Cup before being recalled for this tournament after the injury to Jonny Bairstow. He slog-swept spinners Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin and cleanly struck the pace bowlers back over their head for seven sixes.
\nAfter a quick start, Buttler settled into the supporting role before unleashing his ramps and power strokes in a canter to the finish line.
\n\u201cIt certainly feels like it\u2019s as close to perfect as we can get, especially against such quality opposition.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s important for us to enjoy this and this performance so we will reflect on that and enjoy it, but there is one last dance to go,\u201d England captain Jos Buttler said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
India thrashed by ten wickets after batters score only 168 in Adelaide ONLINE ADELAIDE England stormed into the Men\u2019s T20 World Cup final with a sensational 10-wicket demolition of India at the Adelaide Oval. Openers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales overcame a feverish India-supporting atmosphere and chased 169 without the loss of a wicket. They […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":294539,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-294511","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n