India edge England in high-scoring thriller - To clash with New Zealand in T20 World Cup final

MUMBAI, India:

India motored into the Twenty20 World Cup final after beating England by just seven runs in a high-scoring semi-final at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.

The tournament co-hosts will defend their 2024 crown against New Zealand in the final on Sunday in Ahmedabad.

India powered to 253-7, the fourth-highest total in T20 World Cup history, and England replied with 246-7, the fifth-highest ever.

There were 499 runs with 34 sixes -- the most hit in a T20 World Cup match -- 19 by India and 15 by England.

Sanju Samson, dropped on 15, hit 89 off 42 balls to lead India. Jofra Archer went 1-61, conceding the most runs ever by an England bowler in a men's T20 World Cup.

Jacob Bethell led England's reply with a career-first 105 off 48 balls, including seven sixes. He fell on the first ball of the last over, when England needed 30 runs to win, trying to run a second single that wasn't on.

Jasprit Bumrah bowled a controlled spell of 1-33 in four overs, and Axar Patel took two stunning catches in the field and fashioned another.

India beat England in a second successive T20 World Cup semi-final and will try on Sunday to become the first team to win three World Cups and consecutive titles.

New Zealand have never won the men's T20 World Cup.

Samson, who hit a second consecutive half-century, was named Player of the Match.

"I feel great - I knew I had form behind me going into this game, so I needed to continue (batting like that)," he said. "It is not easy to find form in crucial games for your country, so I needed to make the most out of my batting in a big game. I gave myself extra time and calculated my innings."

POWER CHARGE

Put in to bat, India lost Abhishek Sharma cheaply -- out caught for nine to Will Jacks.

Samson and Ishan Kishan (39) then set the stage for India's second 250-plus total of the tournament. They had previously scored 256-4 against Zimbabwe in the Super 8s -- the second-highest T20 World Cup total.

Samson reached 50 off 26 balls and put on 97 off 45 balls with Kishan. India's 100 came up in the ninth over, before Kishan holed out to long off in the next one.

Shivam Dube was promoted up the order and he smashed 43 off 25 balls, including four sixes, putting on another 43 off 22 balls with Samson.

Samson went for a big six over cover and was caught off Jacks in the 14th over, with India already past 150 at that stage.

Hardik Pandya (27) and Tilak Varma (21) put in cameos as India buffered up their total on a fabulous batting surface.

BETHEL SHOW

In response, England got off to a poor start -- Axar Patel held a stunning tall catch running back to dismiss Phil Salt for five.

Bumrah accounted for Brook (7), while Jos Buttler looked out of touch in scoring 25 off 17 balls. Tom Banton (17) hit two sixes, but Patel bowled him to leave England at 95-4 in 7.3 overs.

The scoring rate was still good, owing to Bethell's arrival at the crease, and he immediately got going.

Bethell hit 50 off 19 balls as he put on 77 off 39 balls with Jacks. This was England's most dangerous duo as per batting form, and India were wary despite a tall score behind their back.

Jacks made 35 off 20 balls, when Arshdeep Singh provided the breakthrough in the 14th over. England needed 82 off 48 balls at that stage, with Bethell and Sam Curran (18) putting on another 50 off 27 balls thereafter.

Bethell was run out and India secured their spot in a record fourth T20 World Cup final.

- AP