England are knocked OUT of the T20 World Cup in India thrashing… with Jos Buttler’s side bowled out for 103 as they fall at semi-final stage in bid to retain their crown

England’s T20 World Cup defence came to a disappointing end after being outclassed by India by 68 runs in the second semi-final of the tournament on a slow, low pitch in Guyana.

Rains in the Amazon threatened to ruin England’s chances but instead they were canceled out by a combination of Rohit Sharma’s stylish half-century and an Indian attack whose bowlers loved the conditions.

England needed an improbable 172 to secure a final against South Africa in Barbados tomorrow/Saturday but were humiliated for 103. It all felt like one of their doomed Test innings at a turner in Chennai or Ahmedabad, leaving managing director Rob Key with a difficult decision to make as he weighs up the futures of coach Matthew Mott and captain Jos Buttler.

The early damage was done by left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who removed Buttler with his first ball, finished a reverse sweep on toes and then added Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali, both of whom may have been playing in international cricket for the last time. In between, the incomparable Jasprit Bumrah rearranged Phil Salt’s leg stump. The chase was almost over before it had begun.

Kuldeep Yadav then rushed through the middle order, trapping Sam Curran and Chris Jordan with their legs in front of the ball, either side of Harry Brook’s bowling around his legs, as he too bungled a reverse sweep.

India were the better side throughout the match, scoring 172 runs with the bat and bowling out England for 103 runs in response

Wickets fell at regular intervals, with Harry Brook’s 25 being the highest score in a minor batting display

Brooks’ 25 was the top score in a dismal innings, and it took some late knocks from Jofra Archer to get them into three figures. Liam Livingstone’s run-out after a mistake by Archer summed up England’s disorientation.

It was a bloodbath almost on a par with South Africa’s nine-wicket demolition of Afghanistan in Trinidad the night before. And it was resounding revenge for India’s 10-wicket defeat by England at the same stage of the previous T20 World Cup in Adelaide two years ago.

When the camera panned to Buttler in the dugout, his head was bowed: for the first time in five years, England have none of the white ball trophies in their hands. An era is over. Now they have to hit refresh somehow.

England’s best chance to make India sweat could have come and gone before the start, as Buttler – who won his sixth of eight toss – opted for the security blanket of bowling first on a pitch that looked likely to become more difficult as the match progressed. progressed.

Even then, they might have taken control when Sharma – just five runs in his eventual 57 off 39 deliveries – cut Jofra Archer to backward point. But Salt misjudged the trajectory of the ball and saw it fly over his hands for four.

Just three days earlier, Sharma had thrashed Australia for 92 off 41, the innings of the tournament. Had England removed him earlier, the mood of the match might have changed – especially when Virat Kohli went down shortly afterwards to Reece Topley for just nine to continue his miserable World Cup.

Instead, after Curran removed Rishabh Pant cheaply, Sharma built the match-winning partnership of 73 in 8.2 overs with the equally gifted Suryakumar Yadav, second only to Australian Travis Head in the rankings. Even a rain break of an hour and fifteen minutes could not deter them.

India now take on South Africa after securing a heavy win over Afghanistan in their own semi-final

England may consider the semi-final a success, but they won just one of their four matches against test nations

Jasprit Bumrah started his work by rearranging Phil Salt’s leg stump to put England on the back foot early

Yet their progress, which was not always smooth, hinted at the battle that England faced, with the turn of Adil Rashid and Livingstone proving difficult to avoid.

That put a spotlight on Buttler’s decision to ignore Moeen Ali’s off-breaks altogether, presumably because five of India’s top six were right-handed. It was a big call: while Rashid and Livingstone between them conceded just 49 in eight overs, the four players – Topley, Archer, Curran and Jordan – went for 120 in 12.

England will claim that, unlike Australia and co-hosts West Indies, they have reached the semi-finals of the World Cup. Yet the headline is misleading. Of their four matches against Test opponents, England have lost three and only progressed through the group stage and the Super Eights because they beat Oman, Namibia and the USA.

Mott claimed before this match that England had improved as the tournament progressed, but this ignored the defeat to South Africa two days after the mood had brightened with a thrilling win over the West Indies.

The bottom line is that England have won three of their 12 matches against Test opponents in two World Cups. Key must now decide whether that is a base on which to rebuild. As for this excellent Indian team, it will take a huge effort from South Africa to deny them a first World Cup in 13 years.