Ravi Bopara shone with the bat at Leeds as his breath-taking hundred helped England Champions keep their hopes alive and virtually knock defending champions India out of the tournament. Ravi Bopara scored an unbeaten 110 off 55 balls and got able support from Ian Bell who scored 54 off 39 balls as England amassed 223/3Â with only Harbhajan Singh shining with the ball with 2/18 in 3 overs.
In reply, plenty of starts by Indian batters but nobody went and scored big. Yusuf Pathan scored 52 off 29 balls as India were kept to 200/8 in 20 overs. Ajmal Shahzad was the pick of the bowlers for England with 4/31 in 4 overs. Stuart Meaker chipped in with 2/55 in 4 overs. Ryan Sidebottom bowled a miserly spell of 1/20 in 4 overs. while Ravi Bopara got a wicket with ball too. It meant that India are on the brink of elimination while England keep their slim hopes of semi-finals alive.
Ravi Bopara’s unbeaten century propels England to 223
Phil Mustard walked out to bat alongside Ian Bell as England were put into bat by India. Vinay Kumar bowled a tight first over before Varun Aaron gave the early breakthrough to India as he got rid of Phil Mustard for 1 off 5 by cleaning him up. Varun bowled it full and straight angling into the middle stump, Mustard backed away to make room by looking to play through the off-side but misses it completely. The ball went onto rattle the middle stump. Ravi Bopara came out to bat at 3.
Ian Bell broke the shackles for England by hitting two boundaries off Vinay Kumar before Bopara joined the party by hitting a maximum off the free hit ball from Vinay. Varun Aaron was not to be spared either as Bell hit him for consecutive boundaries before Bopara came on strike and did the same as runs started to flow for England.
Piyush Chawla came into the attack and bowled a decent over till Bell took him to the cleaners by hitting a maximum over deep midwicket. Pawag Negi was tasked to bowl the final over of powerplay and he was taken to the cleaners by Bopara as he hit him for two consecutive boundaries and a maximum later on as England raced to 64/1 after 6 overs at the end of the powerplay.
Piyush Chawla tried to stem the flow of runs by sneaking in a tight over before Bopara got a boundary off Irfan Pathan. Pawag Negi was in for some more punishment as Ian Bell hit him for consecutive boundaries. Stuart Binny came into bowl the 10th over and he was welcomed by back-to-back maximums by Ravi Bopara as he reached his fifty off 23 balls. Bopara then hit another maximum as the 100 came up for England in 9.4 overs. At the halfway stage of the innings, England were well-placed at 106/1.
Ian Bell complimented Bopara well and hit Piyush Chawla for a maximum before completing his fifty off 33 balls. Bopara showed no signs of stopping as he hit Pawan Negi for another maximum as the balls were getting lost at Leeds. Piyush Chawla bowled a tight over and finished his miserly spell while Harbhajan Singh came onto bowl for the first time after 13 overs to bowl at the death. Bopara was dropped by Varun Aaron at long-on as he got a lifeline off Harbhajan’s bowling.
Harbhajan though picked up a wicket next ball dismissing Ian Bell for 54 off 39 balls laced with 6 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Harbhajan tossed it up around fourth stump, Bell looked to go over midwicket but was a tad early into the shot. He managed to get a leading edge and Yuvraj Singh at midwicket took a simple catch as India had the breakthrough they wanted. Moeen Ali came out to bat at 4.
Moeen Ali joined in the bandwagon of hitting as he took Pawan Negi to the cleaners hitting him for 3 maximums and one boundary in the over as 25 runs came off the 15th over. Negi finished his expensive spell with England reaching 160/2 in 15 overs. Harbhajan was keeping England under check as he bowled another miserly over of 3 runs. But runs were leaking from the other end as Ravi Bopara took Vinay Kumar to the cleaners hitting him for a maximum and followed it with a hat-trick of boundaries as 20 came off the over. Bopara moved to 98*.
Moeen Ali then launched Harbhajan for the maximum as the 50-run stand came up between the two. But Harbhajan got his revenge a few balls later as Moeen departed for 33 off 13 balls with a boundary and 4 sixes to his name. Harbhajan bowled a fuller than length ball at the leg stump. Moeen came down the track and heaved it off the inside half of his bat. The ball flew to Ambati Rayudu at deep midwicket who completed the catch. Samit Patel was the next batter in and got off the mark straightaway.
The special moment came for Ravi Bopara next ball as he collected a brace of a fullish delivery at middle stump by tucking it away to square leg. He completed his hundred off 51 balls at the end of the 18th over. Samit Patel joined in the party as a finisher as he smashed Varun Aaron for a boundary to start the over and hit a maximum to bring up the 200 for England in 18.3 overs.
Vinay Kumar was tasked to bowl the final over and after his initial three balls, he was hit for a boundary by Samit Patel and then Ravi Bopara finished things off in style with a maximum as he remained unbeaten on 110 off 55 balls laced with 8 fours and 8 sixes while Samit Patel finished with 20* off 9 balls with 2 fours and a maximum. 5 extras given by India as England finished with a massive 223/3 in 20 overs.
A tough day for the Indian bowlers with Harbhajan Singh the pick of the bowlers with 2/18 in 3 overs introduced late in the piece. Piyush Chawla bowled a miserly spell of 0/25 in 4 overs. Varun Aaron got a wicket for his 1/34 in 3 overs. The rest of the bowlers went the journey and did not get a wicket. That meant that India Champions needed 224 to keep their playoff hopes alive.
Ajmal Shahzad’s 4-wicket haul restricts India to 200/8.Â
Impact Player Shikhar Dhawan walked out to bat alongside keeper batter Robin Uthappa in pursuit of 224. India got off to the worst possible start as Ryan Sidebottom dismissed Robin Uthappa for a silver duck. Ryan bowled a length ball on off-stump which Uthappa looked to carve it to midwicket but the ball went straight to mid-on fielder standing fine as Ravi Bopara took the catch. Ambati Rayudu came out to bat at 3.
Moeen Ali was greeted by a sumptuous boundary by Shikhar Dhawan. Sidebottom was keeping things tight in his spell while Rayudu broke the shackles by hitting Moeen for a maximum before Shikhar did the same by reverse sweeping Ali. Sidebottom was not giving anything away and that created pressure on India and resulted in them losing a wicket to Ajmal Shahzad as he plucked out Dhawan for 17 off 16 balls laced with a four and a six to his name.
Shahzad bowled a length ball on the middle stump, Dhawan went down on his knee looking to sweep to square leg and got beaten. The ball crashed into the stumps where the off-stump went for a walk. Captain Yuvraj Singh walked out to bat at 4. Yuvraj got off the mark as India struggled their way to 35/2 at the end of six overs of powerplay. Yuvraj broke the shackles by hitting Sidebottom for a boundary while Rayudu launched him over fine leg for a maximum.
Yuvraj then took on Shahzad as he hit him for a boundary while Rayudu launched it down the ground for the maximum. Yuvraj was then given a lifeline as Phil Mustard with gloves on put him down. Stuart Meaker was introduced into the attack and he provided the breakthrough by getting rid of Ambati Rayudu for 28 off 21 balls with 3 sixes to his name. Fuller length angling into the pads from the bowler, Rayudu picked it up from his legs and hits it uppishly to deep square leg where Ravi Bopara took another catch. Stuart Binny came out to bat next and got off the mark as well straightaway.
Ravi Bopara was introduced into the attack and was hit for a rare boundary by Yuvraj as India at the halfway stage of the chase were 77/3. Stuart Binny decided to join the party and took Meaker to the cleaners by smashing him 2 sixes and 2 boundaries in the over as 22 runs came off it. Binny then launched Bopara for another maximum as the 100 came up for India in 11.1 overs. He then hit Bopara for another boundary as he continued his merry ways. But the centurion had the last laugh getting rid of Binny for 35 off 13 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name.
Bopara bowled a slower one on a fuller length around off, Binny lost his shape as he looked to heave it across the line and hit it high in the air. Samit Patel ran to his left from deep square leg and completed an outstanding catch. Yusuf Pathan came out to bat next and got off the mark while Yuvraj got a lucky boundary through the third man region. Yusuf was in no mood to waste time as he hit Moeen for another boundary. He then targeted Bopara by hitting him for a maximum and a boundary to keep India in the game.
Yuvraj Singh then hit Moeen Ali into the roof at Leeds for a maximum to keep the fight going although the required rate was climbing up. At the end of 15 overs, India were 149/4 with 75 needed off the last 30 balls. Stuart Meaker came back into the attack and was welcomed with a boundary from Yusuf Pathan. But Meaker broke the budding partnership prizing out Yuvraj Singh the captain for 38 off 27 balls with 4 fours and a six to his name.
Meaker bowled it short around middle stump, Yuvraj rocked back and muscled his pull but hit it flat and hard but straight to Moeen Ali at deep midwicket who took a good catch. Irfan Pathan came to join his elder brother Yusuf in the middle. Yusuf managed to get a boundary away off Meaker to end the over. Ravi Bopara bowled a decent 17th over as pressure of the required rate was building on India. Irfan tried to break the shackles by hitting Shahzad for the maximum. But the bowler had his revenge next ball as Irfan fell for 10 off 8 balls with a six to his name.
Shahzad bowled it full and wide outside off, Irfan tried to drag it across towards on side and got it off the toe end of the bat to miscue it up in the air. Ravi Bopara once again settled underneath it and took the catch. Pawan Negi came out to bat next. Yusuf kept the lone fight going and hit a boundary off Shahzad to end the over. Yusuf then hit a boundary and a maximum to complete his fifty off just 23 balls. At the end of 19 overs, India were 199/6 needing 25 off the final over which was to be bowled by Ajmal Shahzad.
Shahzad bowled a wide which brought up the 200 for India in 19.1 overs. He then bowled a hat-trick of dot balls to Yusuf Pathan to seal the deal for his side. He dismissed Yusuf off the penultimate ball of the match for 52 off 29 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes to his name. It was a low full toss outside off, Yusuf looked to go straight down the ground and hits it off the toe end of the bat. The ball went straight up in the air which the bowler called for it and took the catch.
Vinay Kumar came out to bat next and was dismissed first ball for a golden duck. Shahzad bowled it full and around leg, Vinay got into a tangle as he looked to heave it across and hit it high in the air. Ryan Sidebottom at short fine leg tracked back and completed a great tumbling catch as India finished with 200/8 in 20 overs handing a victory by 23 runs to England Champions. 16 extras were given by England bowlers.
Ajmal Shahzad was the pick of the bowlers for England with 4/31 in 4 overs. Stuart Meaker chipped in with 2/55 in 4 overs. Ravi Bopara chipped in with 1/43 in 4 overs while Ryan Sidebottom bowled a tight spell of 1/20 in 4 overs. Moeen Ali went for 45 runs in 4 overs and did not get a wicket. So, England keep their hopes alive with the win and for his outstanding century, a wicket with ball and multiple catches Ravi Bopara was awarded the Player of the Match award.
What Lies Ahead
With this win, England Champions have climbed to 4th in the points table with 3 points from 5 games as they got their first win in this game. Defending champions, India Champions continue to languish at the bottom of the points table with a point from 4 games. They are virtually out of the semi-finals race.
WCL 2025 takes a day’s break as teams will go to Grace Road in Leicester for the final two league games to be played on Tuesday 29th of July. It will be Australia vs Pakistan from 5PM IST while India takes on West Indies at 9PM IST. Three teams are already through to semis like South Africa, Pakistan and Australia. The last spot is up for grabs and England will hope India wins against West Indies for them to qualify for semis. If West Indies beats India, then England are out.
So, all to play for in the business end of WCL 2025 as the semis and finals are around the corner.
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