India beat England in epic semi-final despite Bethell ton

T20 World Cup, Semi-final, Mumbai

India 253-7 (20 overs): Samson 89 (42), Dube 43 (25); Rashid 2-41

England 246-7 (20 overs): Bethell 105 (48); Pandya 2-38

India won by seven runs

Jacob Bethell’s thrilling century was not enough as India pipped England by just seven runs to seal a spot in the T20 World Cup final in a high-scoring thriller in Mumbai.

Needing 254 for victory – a record in this competition – after being flogged around Wankhede Stadium, Bethell hit a scarcely believable 105 from 48 balls to threaten one of England’s all-time white-ball victories.

The 22-year-old, the rising star of English cricket, kept England afloat from 63-3 and 95-4 and took boundaries from the final two balls of the 17th over to leave 45 to get from the final three.

The Wankhede Stadium crowd, jubilant when Sanju Samson earlier crashed 89 from 42 balls, had become increasingly nervous but the great Jasprit Bumrah remained calm through the tension, conceding only six from the next over.

Sam Curran was caught for 18 in the 19th – Hardik Pandya also holding his nerve – and Bethell was unable to get 30 needed from the last alongside Jamie Overton.

He was run-out attempting to keep the strike and England, despite three sixes by Jofra Archer when the game was all but done, finished on 246-7.

India were also boosted by two sensational catches by Axar Patel, first to dismiss Harry Brook and then a relay effort to see off Will Jacks, but England will rue a crucial drop by Brook.

In the third over he put down Samson on 15 – a mistake India punished by piling up the highest T20 score ever made against England.

It means co-hosts India will play New Zealand in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.

At halfway, this had all of the hallmarks of a calamitous England white-ball defeat.

A dreadful dropped catch by Brook, 37 boundaries conceded, and a crowd set to celebrate a huge win into the Mumbai night.

The result is still the same but Bethell ensured England’s tournament ends with an entirely different complexion than what could have been.

The left-hander played inventive scoops, powerful drives and elegant flicks and when he departed the stage the crowd rose to him.

Had England lost heavily here, the scrutiny on coach Brendon McCullum would have ramped up given this tournament follows the Ashes defeat in Australia.

To pin the defeat on Brook would obviously be unfair.

His chance was a simple opportunity driven flat to the England captain at mid-on but he was also not backed up by his bowlers as boundaries came in India’s innings at will, albeit on the flattest of pitches with cruelly short boundaries.

The irony was clear, though, when Axar charged back from extra cover and leapt to dismiss the England captain for seven.

Jos Buttler followed for 25 – he was scratchy again – and Tom Banton 17, only for Bethell to resurrect the chase in the company of Jacks.

Axar struck again, however, by running around at deep mid-wicket and tossing the ball athletically to Shivam Dube to end a partnership of 77 in 39 balls.

Credit also must go to the remarkable Bumrah, who nailed yorkers and delivered slower balls under pressure, and finished with 1-33 amid the carnage.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy bore the brunt of Bethell’s assault, including three sixes in a row, and was hit for 64 in four overs.

Samson may not have even played at this tournament but for the most unfortunate of circumstances.

He was dropped before the first match after a run of 10 T20s without a fifty but was recalled for the group-stage match against Namibia with Rinku Singh absent following the death of his father.

The 31-year-old has often been viewed as an unfulfilled talent in the international game. No-one is saying that anymore after this knock and his 97 not out against West Indies.

Had Brook taken the catch off Archer, who had dismissed the right-hander three times in their past five international meetings, things could have been different.

Instead, he struck 15 boundaries with elegance, flair and power.

Whatever length England bowled the result was the same. Their lines were too often off, resulting in boundaries being leaked to all sides.

When Samson was finally caught off Will Jacks, who again bowled admirably, after 13.1 overs, 160 runs were already on the board.

India had already promoted Shivam Dube to attack England’s spin and he did so to impressive effect in his 25-ball 43 – hitting Adil Rashid for three sixes and ensuring Liam Dawson was only used for one over.