By Victor Kanayo
England stormed into the Men’s 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 romped home with a massive 24 balls to spare to set up a final against Pakistan on Sunday and seal one of England’s greatest white-ball wins.
Hales ended 86 not out from 47 and Buttler unbeaten on 80 from 49, the England skipper clinching the match with the pair’s 10th six.
Earlier, despite 50 from Virat Kohli, England’s bowlers restricted India well until Hardik Pandya’s 63 from 33 balls powered his side to what had looked a testing score.
But Hales, recalled after more than three years in the international wilderness, gave England a rapid start and Buttler continued the onslaught.
Their stand of 170 is a record in a men’s T20 World Cup, beating the 168 shared by South Africa’s Quinton de Kock and Rilee Rossouw in their Super 12 game against Bangladesh last month.
It 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).
This was supposed to be the night India joined their great rivals in what would have been one of the great sporting finals.
A frenzied crowd was expectant but by the end, a small pocket of England fans were jubilant, the quietened India supporters drifting away.
England’s bowling effort, without Mark Wood because of injury and up against India’s batting line-up of superstars, was tidy and disciplined, until they were knocked off course by Hardik’s late blitz.
The batting was simply stunning.
The 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.
As the final majestic strike cleared the fielder and boundary at long-on, Buttler whipped off his helmet and roared with delight.
A campaign that was floundering after defeat by Ireland two weeks ago could still end in glory.
Pakistan, 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.
