ENG VS IND - Match 38, ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

It was meant to be England versus an amalgamation of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and New Zealand. Clearly, the volume of prayers aren't proportional to the outcome. But England were being just the England that the world had braced themselves to watch. They've turned up a few weeks late, but they've turned up nevertheless. India, too, were the India England saw in 2017, and it's really no surprise that they're being booed out here by the crowd. This started off being fun before it turned mundane, as I, Vineet Anantharaman, sign off on behalf of the rest of us, Nikhil Jadhav, Varun Dikshit, Sriram AS, MS Ramakrishnan, Kumar Abhisekh Das and our scorer, Harish. Until, intent returns, ta ta!!

Eoin Morgan | Winning skipper: I thought we had a perfect start. Winning the toss and batting first wasn't an easy decision but it turned out to be a very good decision. I wasn't confident about it in the morning but it worked out really well for us. We played extremely well, Jason Roy coming back in and Jonny's hundred was pleasing to watch. Partnerships throughout took us to a really formidable total. From overs 10-20 we got about 90-95 runs which is quite substantial. It lays a huge platform and the two main threats - the spinners of India were taken on. Throughout the first innings, the constant feedback was that it was getting difficult to bat on with the ball gripping. Hopefully this is the brand of cricket that we want to play and it has taken off. The slower balls were gripping and were taking off the deck, so we weren't really worried with that in the back of my head. (India's approach at the death) It didn't really bother me. I was really happy with India's approach sitting back. But our bowlers were superb. Liam (Plunkett) has been outstanding for us for the last four years, especially in the middle overs where it is really difficult to take wickets. There is absolutely no easy game in this tournament, as Pakistan's game against Afghanistan showed yesterday. Every game in this World Cup has been extremely tough for everybody and it will go on like that.

Kohli (2/2): I thought they were going towards 360 at one stage, so we did well to pull things back. 10-15 lesser would've been better, Ben (Stokes) played a superb knock and we were happy to restrict them to 330. If we were clinical with the bat, if the dismissals didn't happen at that time then the result could have been different. We had a decent chance when they (Pant and Pandya) were in there to strike a few and get closer to the target and trigger panic in their dressing room. We kept losing wickets and that doesn't help in a big chase, but credit goes to England in the end. It's up to discussions with the two guys who were in there (about the way India batted towards the end). I think MS (Dhoni) was trying really hard to get the boundary but it wasn't coming off. They bowled in good areas and the ball was stopping, hence it was difficult to bat towards the end. We have to sit and assess and improve on things in the next game.

Virat Kohli | Losing skipper (1/2): Every team has lost a game or two here or there, you just have to accept that the opposition played a better game on the day, They were just more clinical in terms of their execution of their plans. We are still playing good cricket, and the morale is still the same in the dressing room. We just have to brush this aside as professional cricketers, learn from it and move forward. The toss was vital, especially looking at the boundaries that are this short. Bizarre that it just falls in place with the boundary limitations and with a flat pitch such as this. It's crazy that things fall in place like that randomly. It's the first time we are experiencing this. The toss wasn't a massive factor, but we weren't clinical with the bat I suppose because the wicket was flat. We should have accelerated and gotten closer, but they bowled superbly. If batsmen are able to reverse sweep, sweep you for a six on a 59-meter boundary you can't do much as a spinner. They had to be more smart with their lines as it was difficult to contain runs with one short boundary.

Harsha Bhogle: Disappointing finish. A run-a-ball partnership can't win games. Was exciting till Pandya was in.

Jonny Bairstow | MoM: It was important to set a platform and assess the conditions early after winning the toss. It's been frustrating for the guys as we've played well but the results have not gone in our favour. We can improve things going forward against New Zealand. I was reacting to each ball. VVS definitely helped me with his knowledge against spin (while playing for Sunrisers). They bowled well upfront as they got few edges but we capitalised later. We have three must win games in the next two weeks but we need to focus on the next game that we play against New Zealand.

18:36 Local Time, 17:36 GMT, 23:06 IST: It was so, so promising. But the finish has been just as sour, with a given-up feeling, playing for pride which too might not have been won. With Pant out there, going about his funky business, and a required rate of around 10, it seemed just the perfect cliffhanger. But England were top-notch with their bowling plans that put up a perfect masterclass of bowling on a slowing wicket, with cutter, more cutters and some more cutters. It consumed Pant. It consumed Pandya. And it consumed the chase that had no further stomach for a fight, shutting shop and succumbing. Rohit Sharma made up for lost time, Virat Kohli churned out yet another fifty and no more, but it's the start that would hurt India - the 28-run powerplay. Yeah, and also their bowling. And also Jonny Bairstow. But don't be fooled, England deserved this every bit, perfectly bringing out their A-game with their backs to the wall. They are alive, and in the process, knocking Sri Lanka out of reckoning ..

STAT: 306-5 would be India's highest score in a run-chase in World Cup matches. India's previous highest score batting second was the 288-4 made against Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup.

Woakes to Kedar Jadhav, 1 run, moves away, gets it in the slot. And whips. Deep mid-wicket. It's the end. India give up, officially

Woakes to Kedar Jadhav, no run, steps out, gets cramped up for room with Woakes following him in with the bouncer on his head. An adjusted pull, only down the pitch

Shashi: "India is really taking it deep down into the next match."

Woakes to Kedar Jadhav, FOUR, connects. Gets a wide-sitter, throws his bat out at it and slaps it uppishly into an empty deep backward point. Just what India were looking for, a reduction in their NRR blow

Woakes to Dhoni, 1 run, nails the pull now, firmly, but Stokes at deep mid-wicket is a fortress in himself. But surprise, surprise, they WILL take the single now

Woakes to Dhoni, no run, fuller, and smashed away to deep mid-wicket. Dhoni's gone into the denying singles mode as well now

Woakes to Dhoni, SIX, there's the connect. Five overs too late, but hmmm, nevertheless. Short, body-lined, swiped away over the leaping backward square leg guy

Chris Woakes [9.0-3-46-2] is back into the attack

Jofra Archer to Kedar Jadhav, no run, and he ends with a 141kph bumper. That's more the Jofra we know. Jadhav's too short, and it's too quick to connect

Jofra Archer to Dhoni, 1 run, leg-cutter. Dhoni only wanted to run it behind point, and succeeds

Jofra Archer to Kedar Jadhav, 1 run, yorker just outside off. He tries half a helicopter, only getting the toe-end to long-on

Jofra Archer to Dhoni, 1 run, 127kph, width outside off, carved away through point

Jofra Archer to Dhoni, FOUR, pitches it up for a change. Dhoni hoicks leg-sided. Stokes is right where the ball comes - deep mid-wicket - and he slips over the ball. So India get what they've been looking for over the last 30 minutes, damn unintentionally

Jofra Archer to Dhoni, no run, 121kph, cutter, has Dhoni hopping around and swinging all around this one