On Thursday, June 27, in a pivotal semi-final match between India and England at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant’s quick reflexes behind the wickets proved to be the difference. His quick stumping of Moeen Ali off the bowling of Axar Patel severely damaged England’s pursuit.
England won the toss and chose to field first, asking India to set a target for the opening over. In their allotted 20 overs, the Men in Blue shown their mettle by scoring a total of 171/7. Rohit Sharma, the captain, took the lead with a blistering 57, and Suryakumar Yadav added a useful 47.
Indian bowlers were applying relentless pressure, especially Patel, as the Three Lions started to close the gap. When Ali went to the crease, looking to steady the innings, Patel had already claimed the vital wickets of Jonny Bairstow and captain Jos Buttler.
Also Read: Jos Buttler discusses the mistakes made against India in the semi-final
The eighth over was the crucial one. With exquisite accuracy, the left-arm spinner hit one straight into Ali’s legs. The hitter was tricked into believing the ball had gone farther than it actually had by the way it clipped his thigh pad. Pant stood up to the challenge as Ali staggered and came out of his crease.
Pant quickly retrieved the ball and shattered the bails with lightning-fast reflexes. Ali attempted to reach back after realising his mistake too late, but Pant’s incredibly fast hands directed him to the pavilion.
This stumping from Rishabh Pant needs to be praised more 🔥 pic.twitter.com/IYZOQrskR2
— Sandy (@flamboypant) June 27, 2024
India is poised to dominate the T20 World Cup 2024 Final
The Men on Blue are determined to destroy the lower order in order to win the match and advance undefeated to the T20 World Cup 2024 final. They have already sent six of the England hitters back to the pavilion.
India
