T20 World Cup: England cruise to final with win over India in semifinal

A thoroughly professional England annihilated an out-of- sync India by 10 wickets to sail into World Cup final as Alex Hales and Jos Buttler's relentless hitting mortified Rohit Sharma's clueless attack, here on Thursday.

England seemed to have saved ir best for grand st as y reduced semifinal to a lop-sided affair, courtesy a splendid bowling effort which y complemented with some breathtaking stroke-making.

It was Hardik Pandya (68 off 33 balls), whose fearless hitting took India to 168 for six but it was just about a par-score at elaide Oval.

England captain Buttler (80 t out) set tone with three boundaries off Bhuvneshwar Kumar's opening over but it was Hales (86 t out off) who butchered Indian attack into submission.

target was achieved in just 16 overs as England batting line-up ed for first time in tourney and what a day it chose to brings its A game to fore.

England opening duo gave India's star-studded line-up a lesson in how to build a T20 innings: that re is only one way, offensive way.

It was one match that was decided in Powerplay as India mand only 38 runs in six overs as archaic style of safety-first approach hurt m terribly.

In complete contrast, England's top order which looked shaky throughout league st, smashed 63 in ir six overs. match was won and lost n and re.

Hales hit as many as seven sixes in his 47-ball kck and his approach showed that re were demons in track. He deployed old-fashioned 'Sanath Jayasuriya school' of hitting in first six overs.

When Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were batting, y were looking to hit through line unlike Hales and Buttler.

Against lesser opposition like Banglesh, y could make it up with a total of 168 but it was never eugh for a side like England which has reinvented grammar of T20 batting.

Bhuvneshwar and Arshdeep Singh didn't get eugh swing up front and team manment's fascination to play Axar Patel (0/30 in 4 overs) and Ravichandran Ashwin (0/27 in 2 overs) ahe of Yuzvendra Chahal backfired bly.

success England spinner il Rashid (1/20 in 4 overs) on same track ded insult to injury.

By time, Buttler hit Mohammed Shami (0/39 in 3 overs) down ground for one of his three sixes, elaide Oval stands wore a desolate half-empty look.

And over-throws and dropped catch by Suryakumar Yav typified a day when everything that could go wrong went wrong for India.

This Indian team never h all its bases covered and paid price. But even in this defeat, T20 captain-in-waiting Pandya revelled in role of a finisher with a sensational kck that gave India a chance to fight.

Virat Kohli (50 off 40 balls) occasionally displayed his regal array of strokes but it was flamboyant Baroda man whose unbelievable end-over pyrotechnics took India to a fighting total, which h looked distinctly impossible after first 10 overs.

In last four overs, India scored 58 runs, courtesy four fours and five astonishing sixes from Pandya with a drop-de gorgeous flick behind square off Chris Jordan (3/43) being stand out one.

KL Rahul’s (5) abject failure against bigger teams looked even more prounced as Chris Woakes exposed his shortcomings with extra bounce in second over.

But if India scored at least 20 runs less, blame it on skipper Rohit Sharma (27 off 28 balls) and first 10 overs that yielded only 62 runs. In a semifinal, consuming 42 dot balls (effectively 7 maiden overs) doesn't paint a pretty picture.

H it t been for sixes that Hardik hit off Sam Curran (0/42) and Jordan, India would have ended with a below-par score as Kohli, despite his fourth half-century in tournament, couldn't up ante.

re are times it seems that Kohli is on a mission to be better than best. six over extra cover off Woakes was simply unbelievable. he position, stillness and transfer of weight, everything in sync.

re was a short arm bowler's back-drive over Liam Livingstone’s he even as Rohit struggled at or end.

back-to-back boundaries off Curran through mid-wicket region and similar shot over extra cover for a one-bounce boundary of Jordan's deliveries were only three convincing shots from India skipper.

t even slog sweep for four off Rashid looked like he was in control and final outcome wasn't certainly what people expected in a big-ticket game from Rohit.

Pandya came to India's rescue and changed complexion of innings.PTI KHS AT AT