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In the must win T20 World Cup Cricket match against England, India was marginally ahead at the end of the England innings, but could not stand up to the short stuff delivered by the English bowlers when chasing and thus crashed out of the tournament though they will still remain in England to play one more match against South Africa to try and snatch a consolation victory.

India won the toss and elected to field first.  The first wicket was taken quickly by R P Singh who came into the eleven for this match.  India gave rest to Irfan Pathan as well bringing in Ravindra Jadeja. Pragyan Ojha also was asked to sit out.

Though India got the first wicket quickly, Kevin Pietersen, such a big failure for the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the just concluded IPL, was in prime form and scored 46 in no time with fours and sixes before falling LBW to Jadeja.  He had faced 27 deliveries and got out immediately after striking Jadeja for a six over mid wicket.

Demitri Mascranhas didn’t get enough strike to do well after being promoted.  Collingwood shined briefly but Ravindra Jadeja, the new recruit into the Indian team and the seasoned Harbhajan Singh, who incidentally bowled the last over the England innings and took three super wickets in that over, ensured that England were restricted for a manageable 153.

Harbhajan took 3 for 30 in his four overs but his figures were dented by two wides that went for four, the second one due to a misfield by Yuvraj Singh.  Had these wides not been there, Harbhajan would have had super figures of 3 for 20 in four overs.  He really bowled very well today and was fully charged.

Yuvi bowled two overs and went for 20.  He also didn’t field all that well.

When India started the chase, Rohit Sharma got out early playing on a delivery from Sidebottom to his stumps trying to pull a not so short one to mid-wicket.

Gambir played reasonably well but at the other end, Raina, clearly uncomfortable playing short deliveries spooned one to the deep to caught brilliantly by Luke Wright.

England must have watched the India’s previous match against West Indies wherein India came second best unable to counter the short stuff from the Windies fast bowlers.  So the game plan was to strike at the Indian top order batsman with short pitch deliveries.  At one stage 48% of all deliveries bowled by the English pacemen were short in length.  Indian top order could not counter that stuff save for Gautam Gambir to an extent.

Dhoni probably erred in sending Ravindra Jadeja at No.4 as Jadeja laboured on and consumed valuable deliveries without.  In this crucial match, a must win game, such experiments should have been tried when India had an inform Yuvraj and the big hitter Yousuf Pathan besides Dhoni himself.  (One would say critics talk on hindsight but sending Jadeja was not any foresight).

India had hopes of beating the climbing run rate as long as Yuvi was in.  He started off hitting the very first ball he faced for a mighty six and would have sealed the match for India but for the fantastic glove work by Foster who stumped Yuvi off Swann in a flash.

It was left to Dhoni and Yousuf Pathan to try the hard hitting part.  While Pathan surely batted valiantly – one must credit him for the close 3 run defeat as he scored a brilliant six of the fourth ball of the last over – Dhoni was awful.  It was pitiful sight seeing him nudge for singles and twos and it seemed he had lost his touch for the big shots.  He scored one big four off the last ball of the twentieth over but that was too very late.

So, India has lost the match they should have won, because of:

1. The ten wides conceded by Harbhajan

2.  Sending Ravindra Jadeja who batted like a snail at No.4

3. Loss of Yuvraj’s wicket at a very crucial stage

4. Pathetically uncharacteristic batting by Mahendra Singh Dhon, and not the least,

5. Fantastic bowling performance by England who knew how to counter the India top order batsman.

Lets hope for Jai-Ho for India in the next edition of the Twenty/20 Cricket World Cup.

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