Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami delivered a brilliant opening spell, setting the stage for India’s dominant 100-run victory over England in the World Cup on Sunday. The win marked India’s sixth consecutive triumph in the tournament. Captain Rohit Sharma played a pivotal role with a resilient 87 runs off 101 balls, standing out on a challenging pitch where many Indian batters struggled to perform. Suryakumar Yadav contributed with a crucial 49 runs in the death overs, helping India reach a total of 229 for nine. England, however, were bowled out for just 129 in 34.5 overs.
The heroes with the ball were Shami, who took four wickets for 22 runs, and Bumrah, who claimed three wickets for 32 runs. This defeat marked their fifth loss in six games, effectively eliminating them from semifinal contention. In contrast, India remains the only unbeaten team in the tournament and is on the verge of securing a semifinal spot.
With spin, Kuldeep Yadav was key for India and produced an incredible delivery that earned him the wicket of captain Jos Buttler during the 16th over. The left-arm spinner picked another wicket later in the innings when he dismissed Liam Livingstone for 27; yet, there came a moment later in England’s run-chase when Rohit couldn’t help suppress his anger at Kuldeep.
This came shortly after Moeen Ali’s dismissal in the 24th over; Kuldeep had bowled the 22nd over and on one of the deliveries in the over, the spinner beat Livingstone’s bat, striking him on his pad. The Indian team chose not to review for a potential LBW at the time; however, the replays in the big screen later showed that the ball would have gone on to hit the leg-stump.
Following the replay, Rohit walked towards Kuldeep and expressed his anger at not taking charge for the review. The spinner, realising that there was a wicket for the taking, had little option but to listen to his captain’s rant.
The missed opportunity, however, didn’t cost India as Kuldeep dismissed Livingstone in the 30th over, paving the way for the side’s sixth-successive win in the World Cup.
