Sanju Samson took advantage of a dropped catch from Harry Brook and dazzled under the lights in Mumbai with his powerful 89 off 42 balls as he held the innings together and the rest played around him like Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, and Tilak Varma played cameos as India powered to 253/7 with Will Jacks, Adil Rashid taking 2 wickets while Archer went for plenty of runs. England have a mountain to climb after the break.
India gets off to a rollicking start despite losing Abhishek Sharma in powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma came out to open for India while Jofra Archer had ball in hand for England. Samson made his intentions clear as he stood tall and pulled it over mid-on for a boundary. Samson then helped it on its way over short fine leg for the maximum. Will Jacks had ball in hand from the other end. Abhishek welcomed him with a cut between backward point and cover point for a boundary. Abhishek then danced down the track and chipped it over wide mid-off for a boundary. Jacks had the last laugh as he removed Abhishek for 9 off 7 balls with 2 fours to his name.
Ishan Kishan came out to bat next. Samson stayed deep in the crease and swung it over midwicket for a boundary. Samson was on 15 and the score at 24 when he was put down by Brook at mid-on. Samson then added salt to the wounds as he pummelled the ball with a pull through midwicket for the maximum. Samson showed cleverness as he squeezed it between short third man and backward point for a boundary. Jacks continued as Samson cut it past cover point for a boundary. Ishan then pulled the ball through square leg for a boundary.
Jamie Overton came into the attack next. Ishan whipped the ball behind square for a boundary as the 50 came up for India in 4.3 overs. Ishan then planted his front leg and smashed the ball past cover and cover point for a boundary. Sam Curran came to bowl the last over of powerplay. Samson waited and cleared his front leg to pump it over mid-on for a boundary. Samson went again as he opened the bat face and cut it away to deep backward point and short third man for a boundary.
India reached 67/1 in 6 overs with Ishan unbeaten on 16 off 9 balls and Samson unbeaten on 41 off 20 balls as players took the Drinks Break.
Sanju Samson’s special powered India forward despite losing a few wickets in the middle phase of the game.Â
Adil Rashid came into the attack post the break and powerplay. Samson pressed forward and crunched it through covers for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Rashid kept it tight. Liam Dawson came into the attack next. Samson went bang over wide long-on as the ball sailed over the stands for the maximum. Samson brought up his fifty in 26 balls. Ishan joined the party as he got down on one knee and slog swept it away over deep midwicket for the maximum.
Sam Curran came back into the attack as Ishan flicked it away over deep midwicket for the maximum. The 100 came up for India in 8.3 overs. Samson then pulled it away over deep midwicket for the maximum and then cut it between deep covers and extra cover for a boundary. Rashid came back into the attack as Ishan stepped out and belted the ball over the bowler’s head as the ball went away to the long-off fence for a boundary.
Rashid then removed Ishan and gave England breathing space as he mistimed the ball down to long-off. Ishan fell for 39 off 18 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Shivam Dube came out to bat next. India reached 119/2 in 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game. Overton came back into the attack as Samson slammed it away over long-off for the maximum.
Rashid continued as Dube launched him over wide long-on down the ground for the maximum. Dube whacked the ball away over cow corner for the maximum. Archer returned to the attack as Samson slapped it away with an upper cut over backward point for the maximum. Samson was not done yet as he flat batted it away over long-off for the maximum. Jacks came back into the attack and removed Samson for a magnificent 89 off 42 balls with 8 fours and 7 sixes to his name as he was holed out to Salt.
Drinks was taken after which captain Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat. India were 167/3 in 14 overs. Curran came to bowl the 15th over. Dube was in the zone as he fetched it from outside the off-stump and hammered it down the ground for a boundary. India reached 177/3 in 15 overs with Dube unbeaten on 28 off 19 balls and Suryakumar Yadav unbeaten on 5 off 4 balls.
Late order flurry takes India past 250 as they end with 253/7 in 20 overs.Â
Adil Rashid came to bowl his final over. Dube then got down on one knee and underneath it and went over long-off for the maximum. Suryakumar joined in the fun and swept over square leg for the maximum. Rashid then got another as he stumped out Surya for 11 off 6 balls with one six to his name. Hardik Pandya came out to bat and played out Rashid.
Overton came back into the attack as Hardik stood tall and opened the bat face and guided it between keeper and short third man for a boundary. Pandya then cleared his front leg and slapped it over mid-off for a boundary. The 200 came up for India in 16.5 overs. Hardik then cut it to the left of Dawson at deep backward point for a boundary.
Sam Curran came to bowl the 18th over as Dube smashed it over wide long-on for the maximum. Dube survived a LBW call as the review was burnt by England. Dube was next run out for a well made 43 off 25 balls with one four and 4 sixes to his name. Tilak Varma came out to bat next. Pandya got a lifeline as Banton dropped a sitter coming in from long-on.
Archer came to bowl the 19th over as Tilak took on the bowling and heaved it over midwicket for the maximum. Tilak then took on Archer and sliced it over backward point for the maximum. Tilak went big again as he pulled it away over long leg for the maximum. Tilak was finally cleaned up for 21 off 7 balls with 3 sixes to his name as Archer finally got things right in the end. Axar Patel came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Will Jacks came out to bowl the last over of the innings. Hardik came on strike and played a cracking slog sweep over midwicket for the maximum. Pandya went bang again as he launched it over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Hardik was run out while trying to come back for the second run as he was dismissed for 27 off 12 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes to his name. Varun Chakaravarthy came in and managed to get a couple of byes to end the innings. India finished with a mammoth 253/7 in 20 overs with Axar unbeaten on 2 off 2 balls and Varun unbeaten on 0 off 1 ball. 12 extras given by the fielding side.
It was a hard day for the England bowlers on this deck. Will Jacks finished with 2/40 in 4 overs. Adil Rashid finished with 2/41 in 4 overs. Jofra Archer finished with 1/61 in 4 overs. Jamie Overton finished with 0/36 in 3 overs. Sam Curran finished with 0/53 in 4 overs. Liam Dawson’s only went for 19 runs. So, England now needs 254 to win the contest off 20 overs.
Who’s Winning, India or England?Â
India have got a huge score on the board as they have got 253 on the board on a flat deck in Mumbai. England had a poor day with the ball and on field and now must bat out of their skins to win this contest. Dew might help and they might make a match out of this. Advantage India, but England bats deeper than India. Let’s see what’s instore for us in the second half.
Also Read:Â ICC T20 WC 2026: India Gets Off To A Solid Start After Being Asked To Bat First.