Scorecard:
England: 153 for 7 (20 overs)
(Pietersen 46 off 53 balls, Bopara 37 off 27 balls, Mascarenhas* 25 off 27, Harbhajan 3 for 30, Jadeja 2 for 26)
India: 150 for 5 (20 overs)
(Yusuf Pathan 33* off 17 balls, Dhoni 30* off 20 balls, Gambhir 26 off 26 balls, Jadeja 25 off 35 balls, Swann 2 for 28, Sidebottom 2 for 31)
England played steadily to mass runs at a flat pace of around 7-8 runs per over. Without much pyrotechnics they went around gathering their stuff. No over was dramatic except the last one. In the last over Harbhajan was at one time bowling for a hat trick, and the next moment there were 5 wides.
India knew that this target was to be chased continuously and not let the required run rate get up their neck. However, they did just the opposite! They sent in Jadeja!! He was playing for India after a long time and surely he couldn’t be trusted to take calculated risks. No he didn’t for sure. And by the time he got out the required rate was above 10. Dhoni and Yusuf Pathan launched into a blitzkrieg but it was too late. Strategies are never based on Blitzkriegs, and India learnt a lesson today.
Comment Rating Widget