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Indian street barbers are famed throughout the world not only for their cheap cuts and head massages but also their close shaves. Unfortunately, their cricketers have taken this too much to heart with a tight finish against Bangladesh leaving their hopes in a home World Cup on a razor’s edge.
In a match that ebbed and flowed India started the final over as favourites yet, with three balls remaining, were staring an early elimination in the face. At this point Bangladesh needed two runs to win yet contrived to lose a wicket from each of the remaining deliveries to hand the pre-tournament favourites a reprieve.
The qualifiers had seemed certain to secure their first victory in this group stage only for Pandya to take two wickets before Mahendra Singh Dhoni ran out Rahman as he tried to scamper a bye that would have forced a super over.
India also contrived to keep their faithful supporters guessing against Australia and, while they won with only five balls to spare, those watching were left with the afterthought that this was purely by design as Virat Kohli, who had been scoring at a little over a run-a-ball suddenly erupted into life by scoring 32 runs from his last 11 balls faced. It was almost as though he was picking and choosing when to unleash his talents. Even good deliveries were dispatched to the boundary.
On recent form India possesses the best batsman in the world and his 82 runs in what was effectively a quarter-final ensure the hosts remain in the competition and, despite their opening loss, continue as favourites.
Not that India was the only team making their supporters sweat. If the neutral fan was asked to select which of the leading nations would be most likely to taste defeat against one of the qualifiers I am sure that England would be one of the first names to be volunteered.
Having lost previously to Holland (twice) and Ireland, England came too close for comfort against the only side left in the tournament that does not play Test cricket.
However, as we know, T20 is so erratic that it can be a great leveller and Afghanistan reduced the game’s inventors to 42-4 and 57-6 in a batting display that had the players and managers shaking their heads in bewilderment. Eoin Morgan shouldered arms to be bowled by a straight ball while Joe Root was left stranded after a mix-up with Ben Stokes.
In the end they were rescued by an unbroken stand of 57 in 33 balls between Moeen Ali (who should have been given out LBW) and David Willey before Afghanistan lost five wickets for 15 runs.
On that day it was their spinners that saved them with regular wickets and economical bowling, although against the reigning world champions, Sri Lanka, it was the pace attack that delivered.
Jos Buttler hit a quickfire 66 off 37 balls to help them to a reasonable score although it was the opening bowlers who reduced Sri Lanka to 15-4 to take the sting out of their top order.
It was left to the Sri Lankan captain, Angelo Matthews, to rescue their hopes although, despite a number of enterprising cameos from the lower-order batsmen, it was too little, too late as Stokes and Jordan returned to repeatedly bowl yorkers making it difficult for the outgoing champions to clear the ropes.
The two teams that have dominated the group stage have been New Zealand and the West Indies – despite losing their ‘dead rubber’ match against Afghanistan – still doing enough to top the group even though they rested Chris Gayle.
The Kiwis have excelled in defending low totals on slow pitches, with their spinners increasingly influential.
New Zealand will be hoping to become the first country in the history of the tournament to win every match they play, being the only side (at the time of writing) to have achieved this feat to date.
The spin bowling triumvirate of McCullum, Santner and Sodhi that accounted for India can be replaced by Southee and Boult if the pitch so dictates, demonstrating the ‘black caps’ have the adaptability required.
Despite not yet playing on a ‘true’ wicket the Kiwis have managed to post low, if competitive, totals thanks largely to Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor.
They have also excelled in the field, which could be decisive against an England team that has already dropped more than its fair share.
The West Indies has shown that they can cope admirably without some of their more recognised stars. While Gayle grabbed the attention with the bat against England and then the ball against South Africa (only the second time he has bowled in this format since 2012), they have demonstrated a team ethos and level of motivation few expected to see.
Marlon Samuels and Dwayne Bravo both passed 1,000 career international T20 runs in this tournament while Fletcher hit the all-important knock (aided by some horrendous fielding) to secure victory against Sri Lanka.
Samuel Badree has exerted superb control for a leg-spinner while Suleiman Benn’s height has made him difficult to play and Bravo’s mixture have kept batsmen guessing.
The Kiwis should account for England later today while India, finding form at the right time, should beat the Windies to set up an intriguing rematch. Despite the earlier result in the tournament I’m still backing the hosts … although the Editor reckons England will triumph over India in the final.
