Team India (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

TimesofIndia.com in Mumbai: 40 overs, 499 runs, 34 sixes, a last-over finish and the entire Wankhede Stadium on its feet singing “Maa Tujhe Salaam” in unison. One could not have asked for a more entertaining game of T20 cricket as India held their nerves to beat England by just seven runs and set a date with New Zealand in the summit clash of the 2026 T20 World Cup.The hosts had long yearned for a perfect game in the tournament. While this win too was far from it, it was enough for India to reach their fourth straight white-ball final. The bowlers had the cushion of runs and even when they leaked plenty, their early intent to look for wickets, something they could not do against the West Indies in Kolkata, was evident.Varun Chakravarthy was creamed for three sixes by Jacob Bethell but he responded by taking Jos Buttler’s wicket. Axar Patel was dispatched for back-to-back sixes by Tom Banton but the wily customer had the last laugh, taking the right-hander’s wicket off the third delivery. Before the emphatic response by the two spinners, India broke England’s back during the powerplay of the huge chase by picking three wickets: Phil Salt, Harry Brook and Jos Buttler.

Hardik Pandya struck off the first delivery of his spell and Jasprit Bumrah did the same. The two demonstrated their experience. The former achieved good movement in his first over while Bumrah stunned Brook with a slower ball, and then Axar took a blinder to dismiss the England skipper. When it looked like India were firmly in command, Jacob Bethell and Will Jacks, England’s best cricketer in this tournament, combined to put India under pressure. But even as England got close, it was wickets that kept India in control. Another one came just when they badly needed it and it again took a spectacular effort from Axar and Shivam Dube.Arshdeep was reintroduced to break the momentum after the spinners lacked control and the left-armer bowled three wides on the trot. His last legal delivery was set to go for at least a boundary before Axar pulled off another stunning effort, with Shivam Dube completing the relay catch to get the Wankhede roaring again.

Bethell special

The pitch was a paradise for batting and while every bowler struggled to contain the batters, Varun’s meek surrender raised significant concerns. Throughout his four-over spell, the mystery spinner lacked control and penetration, consistently erring with shorter lengths. The true bounce allowed batters to comfortably sit back on the back foot and muscle deliveries into the stands without course correction. He leaked 64 runs from four overs, his most expensive outing in the format and the second most expensive in the tournament’s history.

Jacob Bethell of England celebrates reaching his century during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Semi-Final match between India and England at Wankhede Stadium on March 05, 2026 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Prakash Singh/Getty Images)

With Bethell keeping England hanging by a thread, the required run rate boiled down to 61 from the last four overs. With two southpaws in the middle, India made the bold call to bowl Arshdeep early. While he kept things quiet initially, he conceded a six and a boundary off the last two deliveries, resulting in 45 runs needed from the last three overs.Arshdeep was reintroduced to break some momentum after spinners lacked control and after the left-armer bowled three wides on the trot, his last legal delivery was set to go for at least a boundary before Axar pulled off another stunning catch, with a neat assist from Shivam Dube, to get the Wankhede roaring again. The pitch was a dream to bat on and while every bowler struggled to contain the batters, Varun’s meek surrender raises significant concerns.Throughout his four-over spell, the mystery spinner lacked control and penetration, consistently erring with shorter lengths. The true bounce allowed batters to comfortably sit back on the back-foot and muscle deliveries into the stands, without course correction. He leaked 64 runs from four overs – his most expensive outing in the format and the second most in the tournament’s history. With Bethell keeping England hanging by a thread, the required run rate boiled down to 61 from last four overs. With two left-handers in the middle, India made the bold call to bowl Arshdeep early. While he kept things quiet initially, he conceded a six and a boundary off the last two deliveries, resulting in 45 runs from the last three overs.

Magical Bumrah

Then came the over that could well have decided which way the match was headed as Surya threw his last roll of the dice and handed Bumrah the ball to bowl the 18th over. And he delivered.

Jasprit Bumrah of India celebrates the run out of Jacob Bethell of England during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Semi-Final match between India and England at Wankhede Stadium on March 05, 2026 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Prakash Singh/Getty Images)

Six deliveries around the toes resulted in only six runs, making the equation 39 off the last two overs. Hardik was on top of his mark to bowl the crucial over. Even after conceding a six off the first ball, he took the wicket of Sam Curran and ended the over with a dot, leaving Shivam Dube 30 runs to defend off the last six balls.Wankhede was on its feet. A mini conference was underway between Dube, Hardik and Surya and the tension was palpable. Centurion Bethell was on strike and his first hit went straight to Pandya, patrolling the long-off. England needed Bethell at the strike and the youngster tried to steal a second but Pandya’s rocket arm caught the 22-year-old short, ending England’s hope. Archer kept the scoreboard interesting with three sixes but it was too late as England fell short by seven runs.

Another Samson masterclass

The 14th over of the Indian innings was the only one in which England did not concede a boundary. On an evening when many boundaries and sixes were hit, Will Jacks’ third over was an anomaly. Boundaries and sixes flew thick and fast in the overs bowled around the off-spinner as India, riding on another Sanju Samson masterclass, demolished England by posting a mammoth total, batting them out of the game before they even came out to bat.

Sanju Samson of India bats watched by England wicketkeeper Jos Buttler during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Semi-Final match between India and England at Wankhede Stadium on March 05, 2026 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Prakash Singh/Getty Images)

The bounce was true and with nothing happening off the surface or in the air, India feasted with a clinical batting display. It was Samson again who put on a real show of attractive strokeplay to score back-to-back half-centuries. If the unbeaten 97 in the stiff chase against West Indies at the Eden Gardens was a picture of calm, the 89 at Wankhede had domination written all over it. He never looked to slow down, even when Abhishek Sharma threw his wicket away to Jacks’ off-spin, and the manner in which he took down the predictable Jofra Archer was pure class.Samson did get a reprieve on 15 when Harry Brook dropped a dolly at mid-on off Jofra Archer’s bowling, but he made the most of it and from there onwards played a chanceless knock.England played the matchups card well but the bowlers’ execution was far from satisfactory. All of them had an economy rate in double digits, with Archer leaking 61 runs in his four overs.The 30-year-old kept digging in short to Samson, who came well prepared and stood deep in his crease to counter the extra bounce. The only occasion when the right-armer went a bit full brought an opportunity, but Harry Brook missed the sitter, handing the in-form Samson an early life. Samson then added 74 runs from the next 35 deliveries he faced.India were cruising and Wankhede was roaring. The chants of “Sanju Samson” grew louder with every big hit and Ishan Kishan ensured the momentum did not dip from the other end as he smashed an 18-ball 39. When the dangerous southpaw was dismissed in the tenth over, India controlled the situation at 117/2. Since spin was expected to play a part, they demoted Surya and sent Shivam Dube to pile on more misery on the opposition.

Dube did not disappoint. Even after Samson was dismissed 11 short of a well-deserved hundred, he aced his role to perfection by using his long levers to full effect and kept 250 within reach. For Surya, it was another ordinary outing in a knockout or must-win fixture of a multilateral tournament but Hardik Pandya covered up for the Indian skipper’s early departure as both he, and, later, Tilak Varma played strong cameos to push the side over the 250-run mark.India’s innings mirrored their training session two days before the match as the batters operated with significant intent. The Men in Blue hit 19 sixes and the sixathon made them the only side in men’s T20 history to have six totals in excess of 250 in the format. India have already hit 88 sixes in the tournament, the most in a single edition, and they are set to flirt with the century mark when they take the field in the title clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.Brief score:India: 253 for seven in 20 overs (Sanju Samson 89, Shivam Dube 43, Ishan Kishan 39; Will Jacks 2/40, Adil Rashid 2/41).England: 246 for 7 in 20 overs (Jacob Bethell 105; Jasprit Bumrah 1/33, Hardik Pandya 2/38).