Mumbai, March 5 (IANS) Calling it “unbelievable feeling”, captain Suryakumar Yadav praised batter Sanju Samson and his bowlers, especially pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah, and gave the credit to fielding coach T Dilip as India fought back to halt a rampaging England to reach the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with a seven-run victory over England at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
Usually cool as a cucumber, the India captain said his heart was racing as India went into the final with England needing 45 runs to win in the last three overs. Jacob Bethell had propelled England into that position with a brilliant 45-ball hundred as he shared vital partnerships with Will Jacks and Sam Curran.
But Bumrah bowled a brilliant 18th over, conceding only six runs, while Hardik Pandya followed that up with nine runs in the penultimate over with a crucial wicket of Sam Curran as India fought back brilliantly to win the match by seven runs.
“Unbelievable feeling. Playing in India, leading an unbelievable side. Samson knew what he knew right when he went in. The team required it from him; it was due. I told Harry how much more we need to score against them. They were always in the chase, but the way the bowlers pulled the game away was unbelievable. You know how capable Bumrah is,” Suryakumar Yadav said in the post-match presentation.
Yadav also gave credit to Dilip, whose efforts bore fruit as Axar Patel pulled off a brilliant catch and laid the groundwork for another, helping to dismiss Harry Brook and Will Jacks. India had dropped 13 catches before the semifinal, but there were spillages on Thursday.
“We need to give credit to T. Dilip, our fielding coach. Boys are responding well. Guys have been going the extra yard, that’s showing up. Till No. 3 all is settled; as soon as we saw Rashid, Dube was the perfect match-up,” said the Indian skipper.
Suryakumar Yadav admitted that he was very nervous as he entered the Wankhede Stadium for the semifinal.
“Was very nervous, heart rate would’ve been 160-175. The moment we entered, it was already 80% full, and we hope we gave the crowd a good game,” said SKY.
The Indian captain said playing the final at home will bring a different kind of pressure but added that the players will be excited.
“Going for the title in India, there will be pressure, but the players and support staff will be excited,” he added.
–IANS
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