Team India took on the mighty Englishmen in a contest that promised to be an epic encounter. After clinching 5 straight wins, India were about to face a tough challenge of the Englishmen. There were two contrasts of fortunes for both the sides where India had all the momentum with them and England had a huge deficit of momentum, coming into this game.
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India were tested straight-away as they were put into defend a total for the first time in the tournament. The English bowlers put immense pressure on Team India batters as they did not allow them break free and catch momentum. India lost a few early wickets and were in a spot of bother. However, Skipper Rohit Sharma stood tall in challenging conditions and stabilized the innings alongside KL Rahul. Rohit’s versatility was on full display today, as he went out of his usual nature to anchor the innings and held one end together. His crucial 87 runs helped India gather momentum against a relentless England bowling attack. On the other hand, KL Rahul played his role perfectly & stabilized the innings. India got the perfect boost that they required in the end of the innings, as Suryakumar teed off with a crucial 49 and Bumrah added crucial 16 runs, taking India to a respectable total of 229.
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With a par total to chase, the English openers started off on a positive note, knocking away a few boundaries initially. But things changed very quickly, as Bumrah ran through the English top-order dismissing Malan & Root in back-to-back two balls. Post that, Lucknow was treated to fast-bowling masterclass from Mohammed Shami as he made the Englishmen dance on the pitch with his fiery spell. India were all over England, as Shami dismissed Stokes, Bairstow & Moeen all by himself. England’s chase did not pick up any momentum whatsoever after the initial collapse. Livingstone and Willey displayed resilience, however it was too little too late as India put the finishing touches and defended a total which looked quite below par at the start, quite easily. With this win, India have registered their 6th consecutive win and have produced sensational performances throughout the tournament.
