Pakistan and England to the final T20 World Cup

England defeated India by 10 wickets in the second semi-final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Adelaide on Thursday, thanks to an unbeaten 170-run stand between Alex Hales and Jos Buttler.

The ultimate crush by Alex Hales and Jos Buttler

The England opening pair put on a stellar performance in Adelaide, charging against the Indian bowlers from the start of their innings. Earlier in the innings, it was Hales who smashed the Indian bowlers while Buttler played second fiddle. But, once England had a firm grip on the match, the English skipper joined the party in the second half of the innings.

Their partnership enabled England to chase down 169 with 10 wickets and 24 balls remaining. Buttler scored 80* from 49 deliveries, while Hales remained unbeaten on 86 from 47 deliveries. Hardik Pandya’s brilliant knock propels India to a competitive total.

Earlier, India had a difficult start to their innings after losing KL Rahul early on. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma attempted to form a partnership, but England’s tight bowling prevented them from scoring quickly.

What’s next for the finals?

England’s crushing victory over India has helped them book a spot in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan. Both teams finished second in their respective Super 12 groups, and their chances of making the semi-finals appeared remote at one point. But both teams made incredible comebacks to not only reach the semi-finals, but also the finals. The two teams last met in the 1992 World Cup final, which Pakistan won. England will now look to set the record straight by lifting the trophy at Melbourne’s iconic MCG.

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