BIRMINGHAM: What’s a World Cup without the hosting team? Disappointed faces and empty stands, to cut a long story short. It’s the home fans who liven up proceedings. Even though Indians have taken up that role in the ongoing edition, the absence of England in the business end would have been a sad story.
They were outnumbered in the stands, had gone quiet when men and women in blue started making noise before the toss and gradually found their feet once the England openers got going.
At the end of the day, the home team fans were the ones sporting the bigger smiles, thanks to a batting performance which had characterised England’s domination of this format. Along with spectator interest, it kept their qualification hopes alive. It also kept India from sealing a spot in the last four. With Australia already there, the other three are still to be identified.
At a time when strategies in sports are becoming more and more complex and different theories are doing the rounds, England’s gameplan is simple. They believe in hitting the ball from the first over, don’t relent in the middle stages when other teams tend to and look for a final flourish riding on the momentum generated. On Sunday, they ticked most of these boxes.
Despite the ball finding the edge and sometimes going past it, Jonny Bairstow and Jason Roy didn’t stop throwing the bat at it, even against a new-ball pair that usually doesn’t allow such liberties.
It didn’t pay immediate dividends and 47/0 after 10 overs looked sedate in comparison to what the world has seen in recent times. But it was in sync with the trend of this World Cup.
The next 10 overs saw the kitchen sink thrown at whatever was delivered. Roy and Bairstow decided they had been patient enough and looking back, this approach decided the destiny of the match.
Going after Yuzvendra Chahal, Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav, they hammered 98 in this period, which saw seven sixes and six fours. At 145/0 after 20 overs, English fans were beaming. It was Bairstow’s day. Most of the times his bat made contact, the ball soared into the stands.
To India’s credit, they pulled things back somewhat after the pummelling. The next 15 overs saw the addition of 66 runs for the loss of three wickets.
Bairstow and Roy had gone and it was the only stage in the first session when those screaming for India in the stands had some real reason to smile. Total 211/3 after 35, it was anybody’s game. Advantage England, India not out yet.
This is where wickets in the bank and the abundance of power-hitters in England’s ranks made the difference. Having played two defiant innings to the losing cause against Sri Lanka and Australia, Ben Stokes got going. He also made sure that Mohammed Shami didn’t have a lot to rejoice despite taking five wickets.
Having given away 25 in seven overs, he went for 44 in the last three. From 245/3 after 40, England zoomed away to a total that was always going to be difficult.
India’s reply was along similar lines. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were intent on preserving wickets instead of looking at the asking rate and the ploy kept India in the hunt for a long time. Although the skipper fell after a fifth consecutive half-century, his deputy completed a third three-figure knock in the competition.
But the difference between the teams in resources No 4 downwards came to the fore at a crucial stage. In the end, that proved decisive as those supporting sky blue started partying.