India booked their place in the T20 World Cup Final after edging past England by seven runs in a thrilling contest at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
The innings was powered by Player of the Match, Sanju Samson, who played a brilliant knock of 89 runs. The wicketkeeper-batter made England pay dearly after their captain Harry Brook dropped a crucial catch early in the innings.
Samson was given a lifeline on 15 in the third over when Brook spilled a straightforward chance at mid-on off Jofra Archer’s bowling. Samson had lofted the ball straight to mid-on, but Brook misjudged it, and the ball popped out of his right hand before falling to the ground.
The missed opportunity proved costly as Samson added 74 more runs, finishing with a stunning 89 off 42 balls, including eight fours and seven sixes, to propel India to a formidable total.
After the match, Brook admitted the dropped catch played a major role in England’s defeat.
“I’ll hold my hands up and say that I made a big mistake there dropping Samson,” Brook said. “Catches win matches, don’t they? Unfortunately, it just didn’t stay in my hands.
“Obviously, it’s in the back of your mind. I kept on looking at the scoreboard, and he was piling the runs on. I was like, ‘I’m going to have to get 89 tonight,’” Brook added in the post-match press conference.
Chasing a challenging target, England suffered an early setback as Phil Salt, Jos Buttler and Brook himself were back in the dugout inside the first six overs. Despite the early blows, England managed to keep pace with the required rate.
However, India tightened their grip in the death overs, with Jasprit Bumrah once again proving decisive with the ball.
Brook acknowledged the challenge of facing Bumrah, calling him arguably the best bowler in the world at the moment.
“He’s a very good bowler, arguably the best of all time at the minute. And yeah, he’s been a very good bowler for a long time,” Brook said.
India also produced a moment of brilliance in the field to break the 77-run partnership between Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks. Jacks sliced Arshdeep Singh over cover, but Axar Patel sprinted from deep cover to intercept the ball just before the boundary and flicked it to Shivam Dube, who completed a sensational relay catch.
“The Indians fielded extremely well. That catch is arguably one of the best catches I’ve seen as well. So yeah, hats off to them,” Brook added.
Harry Brook praises Jacob Bethell’s phenomenal century
Despite the defeat, Brook was full of praise for Jacob Bethell, who kept England in the hunt with a blistering century.
The left-hander smashed 105 off just 48 balls, launching his innings with three consecutive sixes off Varun Chakravarthy. Bethell maintained the momentum throughout, striking eight fours and seven sixes while taking the game deep into the final over.
However, England’s hopes ended when Bethell was run out on 105.
Brook highlighted Bethell’s composure and ability to perform under pressure against a strong Indian attack on their home turf.
“He’s a phenomenal player, as we’ve seen tonight in a high-pressure situation against India on their home turf as well,” Brook said.
“The way that he played that innings there was just phenomenal. He should be extremely proud of what he’s done tonight and this whole winter. Even into the back end of our summer, he’s been unbelievable.
“He’s going to have a hell of a career with England, and I’m looking forward to hopefully spending a lot of time with him in the future.”