ICC World T20: Indian Spinners Spin A Web Around England

A confident and cocky English T20 side was to be put to the test against a dangerous yet misfiring India side at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. And what transpired during the match showed that the Englishmen still have a lot more work to do if they have to survive, let alone dominate against spinners in the sub-continent. India scored a record 90 run win over their opponents to lift their spirits.

Fielding a side which did not have Ashwin, Sehwag and Zaheer Khan in it, India was put in to bat first. Pathan who surprisingly opened the batting in place of Sehwag could not score too many. But Kohli and Gambhir got down to doing what they are so good at. The two stitched a partnership of 67 runs in 8 overs to set up a platform for the rest of the hitters. Kohli especially looked in omnious touch right from the first ball itself. The two of them departed in quick succession, but a fine career resurrecting half century from Rohit Sharma took the Indian score to 170. The spell of one for 17 in four overs by Swann showed that spin would play a part in the second innings.

England had a disastrous start to their innings as Irfan Pathan bowled attacked the stumps with fair bit of in-swing. Alex Hales tried to slog across the line and lost his stump off the last ball of the first over. Luke Wright after carting a six too was dismissed lbw. While Kieswetter kept getting the boundaries and the sixes, England kept losing wickets from the other side. Comeback men Harbhajan Singh and Piyush Chawla embarrassed the English batsmen through top spinners, googlies and doosras as none of the Englishmen had any answer. Had it not been for a 20 run tenth wicket partnership the English side would have capitulated to the lowest score in T20 cricket.

For his exceptional figures of 4 for 12 runs in 4 overs , Bhajji was adjudged the man of the match.