IND VS ENG 2ND SEMI FINAL

Right then, it's the two unbeaten teams that will lock horns in the grand finale. Incidentally, it is the first time South Africa will be playing in the final and their best finish came in 2014 when they lost to India in the semis. India on the other hand are also back in the final for the first time since 2014 and that makes for an even fiestier contest. The Men's T20 World Cup Final, 2024 will be played at the Kensington Oval in Barbados between South Africa and India on Saturday, 29 June and there will be a reserve day in place if rain tries to play spoilsport. That game will begin at 8 pm IST (2.30 pm GMT) but you can join us a lot sooner for the build-up of that massive clash. Until then, take care and goodbye!

The captain of India, Rohit Sharma says that it is a very satisfying win. Mentions that everybody worked really hard and it was a great effort. Feels that the team adapted to the conditions really well and it has been their success story. Adds that if you play the conditions well, things fall into place for you. Shares that at one stage during their batting effort, they thought 140-150 would have been enough but as the runs started to flow, they thought that they needed 20-30 runs more. Mentions that the bowlers were fantastic and the spinners knew what to do and how to execute. Further says that the talk at the halfway mark was to try to keep the stumps into play as much as possible. On Virat Kohli's form, he replies that the form of Kohli is never a problem and jokingly says that he might be saving it for the final. Ends by saying that staying calm helps you in making big decisions and it will be key for them in the final.

Jos Buttler, the captain of England says that India certainly puyplayed them and feels they let India get 20 runs or so more but they were outplayed to be honest. Adds that a couple of years on from that victory (the semifinal win in Adelaide),  the conditions were different and India deserved to win. Mentions that with the rain around, they felt conditions wouldn't change much and they didn't and it's just that India bowled really well. Adds that India have fantastic spinners and even their two spinnes bowled well and could have bowled Moeen Ali in the first innings. Adds that given how the tournament has panned out, you can only play who's in front of you and have played good cricket in patches.

Axar Patel is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his superb all-round performance. He says that he likes to bowl in the Powerplay and with the ball stopping in the surface, he just had to bowl in good areas and not try too much. He says that since the wicket was slower, it was important for him to keep it slow as the quicker balls were easier to hit. Shares that the feedback from the batters was that the surface was not easy to hit the big shots. Further says that the partnership between Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav was magnificent. Says that he will celebrate this award first and he is not thinking about the final at the moment.

The Presentation ceremony...

Earlier in the day, the players were greeted by torrential rain in Guyana and we had a fairly delayed start. After being inserted into bat by Jos Buttler, India lost Virat Kohli early yet again but skipper Rohit Sharma kept on pressing and after getting a couple of streaky boundaries away, Rohit started to find his rhythm. Along with Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit managed to keep the English spinners at bay and that run rate started to rise as well. However, England did come back with the ball and it required a couple of cameos from the likes of Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja that took India over the 170-run mark. For England, Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone bowled well and were economical whereas the pacers were erratic and predictable with their slower balls. They did a decent job of closing out the innings but it wasn't enough.

Not too long ago in 2022, England found themselves at the exact stage, chasing a similar total and on that day it was skipper Jos Buttler who played a fabulous knock and England won by 10 wickets in Adelaide but the tables turned in Guyana and England ended up getting bundled out while chasing. It was Buttler yet again who started positively and it seemed history might even repeat itself but he got out playing a bit of an unnecessary shot but it was really the other batters who did their skills no justice. Only Harry Brook showed some composure and played a few top shots before getting out to the reverse sweep, the same shot that got the better of Buttler as well. Jofra Archer struck a few lusty blows but by then, England were well and truly beaten and that marks the end of their reign as the Men's T20 World Champions.

Having put on a solid total of 171 runs on the board, India knew that all they needed were a few wickets up top in order for their spinners to come in and control the game and that's exactly what happened. The seamers didn't quite deliver and Rohit Sharma was forced to introduce spin early as Axar Patel got the wicket of Jos Buttler on his very first ball and that got India going. Jasprit Bumrah came to the party before Axar knocked over a couple of more batters. Kuldeep Yadav had the perfect platform and ripped through the middle order after which a couple of run-outs sent England to the brink and it was Bumrah who rounded things off with that wicket of Jofra Archer.

THE DECADE-LONG WAIT IS FINALLY OVER AND INDIA ARE BACK IN A MEN'S T20 WORLD CUP FINAL! A comprehensive display from India with bat, ball, and in the field as they keep their unbeaten streak alive and storm into the final. England have been handed a proper drubbing just like they did a couple of years back at the same stage to the same opponent and this victory will feel a lot sweeter for India as they have made light work of the reigning champions.

OUT! TRAPPED IN FRONT! ALL OVER FOR ENGLAND! INDIA MARCH INTO THE FINAL! Jasprit Bumrah finishes things off as India win by 68 runs and have made it to their third Men's T20 World Cup final. Steams in from over the wicket and dishes it out on a fullish length, tailing in, on middle, Jofra Archer walks right across his stumps and tries to take it on the full to paddle it past short fine leg. He fails to lay any bat on it and the ball sneaks past the inside edge to thud him on the back toe right in front of the stumps. Up goes the finger but Archer reviews more in hope than anything else. There is no bat involved on UltraEdge and on Ball Tracking, it is umpire's call with the ball clipping the leg stump.

OUT! TRAPPED IN FRONT! ALL OVER FOR ENGLAND! INDIA MARCH INTO THE FINAL! Jasprit Bumrah finishes things off as India win by 68 runs and have made it to their third Men's T20 World Cup final. Steams in from over the wicket and dishes it out on a fullish length, tailing in, on middle, Jofra Archer walks right across his stumps and tries to take it on the full to paddle it past short fine leg. He fails to lay any bat on it and the ball sneaks past the inside edge to thud him on the back toe right in front of the stumps. Up goes the finger but Archer reviews more in hope than anything else. There is no bat involved on UltraEdge and on Ball Tracking, it is umpire's call with the ball clipping the leg stump.

The game seems to be over as Jofra Archer has been adjudged LBW but he has opted for the review. This was full and straight from Jasprit Bumrah and the third umpire is having a look. Clearly, no bat involved and Ball Tracking shows the wickets as umpire's call and the onfield decision stands. OUT comes up on the big screen and it's all over.

Pace on and attacking the stumps, on a length, Reece Topley clears his front leg to go back over the bowler's head but gets an inside edge onto the pads. The ball rolls away on the leg side off his pads for one.

Rolls his fingers over the ball and serves it on a nagging length, on off, Jofra Archer dabs it to deep point for one more run.

Slips in a loopy delivery, dipping towards the batter, Reece Topley reaches out in front and eases it to long on for a single.

FOUR! Up and over! Full and right in the slot, on off, Jofra Archer does not miss out as he lifts it up cleanly and gets it way over mid off for a boundary.

Slanting in, on a hard length, on off, Reece Topley makes room to play at it but gets an inside edge that rolls down to fine leg for a single.