During the 50 overs of play, England displayed fierce bowling and energetic fielding. However, their performance quickly deteriorated and they were easily defeated by their skilled opponents. Despite chasing a manageable score of 230, England’s weak batting crumbled and they were dismissed for a measly 129 runs. India, on the other hand, continued their winning streak and reclaimed the top spot in the group while England remained at the bottom.

Despite India eventually winning with a comfortable margin of 100 runs, they were initially concerned by England’s performance, making it a small victory for the English team. After four overs, with their openers playing well and their target within reach, the stadium in Lucknow fell silent. However, within twenty minutes, the noise level had risen again as England’s defenses collapsed and Indian fans cheered on their team. It was reminiscent of the biblical story of Jericho.

In recent weeks, this team has consistently struggled and self-destructed, but in this instance, they were just outperformed. Every loss, including this one, is not necessarily shameful, although this tournament has certainly been a disappointment. The team’s innings had a depressing sense of déjà vu as it stumbled and ultimately failed.

Dawid Malan was the first player to be dismissed, as he accidentally hit the ball into his own stumps. Joe Root only faced one ball, which hit his pads very low. Jasprit Bumrah, a skilled bowler, was responsible for both of these events. While Malan’s dismissal may have been due to bad luck, Root’s was particularly unfortunate as he had to face such a difficult delivery right away. Despite his attempt to challenge the umpire’s decision, using slow-motion replay, it was clear that there was no evidence to overturn the call. The frustration was evident as Root angrily waved his bat, which proved to be just as ineffective as his previous swing at the ball.

Ben Stokes was called upon to rebuild the team’s position in the match. With a manageable run rate and a strong bowling attack, it was wise for him to approach the situation cautiously. However, on his second delivery, he made a reckless charge and struggled for the rest of his short time at the crease. He was constantly pressured by Bumrah and Mohammed Shami and eventually fell victim to Shami’s bowling. It was a careless display of batting, regardless of the circumstances. As Stokes himself has admitted, he is not the savior of the team, but rather a mischievous player.

After a strong start of 30 runs without losing any wickets, England quickly fell to 39 for four. However, as long as Jos Buttler remains at the batting crease, they are not out of the game. Unfortunately, in this World Cup, Buttler has not had much time to showcase his talent. He faced 23 balls in this match, marking his longest innings since the opening game. However, his streak was cut short by a remarkable delivery from Kuldeep Yadav that spun and curved like England’s inconsistent performance before hitting the middle stump. From that point on, India’s sixth consecutive victory was inevitable.

England showed improvement in their performance, particularly in the field, during their recent match. Their bowlers were determined and their fielding was both dedicated and skillful. A notable moment was when Malan made a diving catch in the seventh over, a crucial point where England had previously struggled in their last two games. This time, Virat Kohli’s attempt to drive David Willey through cover resulted in a catch by Malan, causing Kohli to be dismissed for a nine-ball duck.

Shubman Gill was dismissed for nine runs as Chris Woakes bowled him through the gate. Woakes, who had been struggling in the previous three weeks, regained his form and performed well in the 12th over when he got Shreyas Iyer out with a top-edge to mid-on. Overall, Woakes had an impressive seven-over opening spell, only conceding 23 runs, a significant improvement from his previous performances in the World Cup.

If Rohit Sharma had not challenged the lbw call when he was at 33, the outcome could have been altered. However, it was clear that the ball was heading towards the leg side, making it a major mistake to not review it. With the help of KL Rahul (39 runs off 58 balls) and Suryakumar Yadav (who scored 49 runs off 47 balls), India’s captain was able to stabilize the team’s performance and continue to score 54 runs off 52 balls.

Surprisingly, England is still in the competition and even after they are eliminated, they will have a strong motivation for their remaining three matches. Before the game, it was revealed that the qualification process for the next Champions Trophy had been changed, without any public announcement, to only include the top seven teams (or eight if Pakistan is among them) from this tournament’s group stage. Despite the fact that the England and Wales Cricket Board were informed at the time, no one in the England team was aware of this change. While the players may appreciate some time off in early 2025, their absence would be embarrassing, especially considering their recent string of mishaps.

Source: theguardian.com