ICC T20 World Cup - Indian bowling collapses, England easily win semi-final by 10 wickets

Today’s T20 World Cup semi-final between England and India was a catastrophe of sorts. After winning the toss, English Captain Jos Buttler choose to bowl and with his team of fierce bowlers, brought a tsunami of misfortune on team India.

The Indian team was rocked from the beginning, losing the early wicket of KL Rahul for just 9 runs. Attempted recovery from Hardik Pandya and Virat Kohli was not too effective due to them consuming too many deliveries and not being able to develop a lucrative partnership.

Another tragedy struck when  batsman Suryakumar Yadav who had been in great form, got out at the wrong time. The most disturbing aspect in this whole fiasco was that after the loss of KL Rahul’s wicket the lack of intent by the Indian batsman was tangible and clearly visible.

On the other hand India’s bowling was a talent show of horrendous Performances. They did not ball straight lines and length targeting the stumps on a flat pitch. Instead they bold too short and too full, on top of that the Indian team’s body language was negative on the field and their approach completely defocused.

Had this team thought about taking an aggressive approach towards foot work, put forward a well thought out shot making strategy, and shunning off the not so wanted timid approach, things would have been quite different. The captain’s involvement in the match was near zero, making it appear as if he had given up before even attempting a real fight.

It’s high time to replace Rohit Sharma as captain and give Hardik Pandya the chance to get this team rocking with the right kind of energy and strategy. Having serious discussions about Rahul Dravid’s position as coach also needs a rethink before it's too late.

Get the latest in the world of Sports, Teams, and Players! Free Delivery to your Inbox.