England is set to compete against India in Guyana for a spot in the T20 World Cup final, following a day of uncertainty regarding the semi-final venue.
India secured a 24-run victory over Australia in St Lucia, confirming their top position in Group Two and setting up a semi-final clash with England on a slow, turning pitch at Providence Stadium. This match is scheduled for Thursday at 3:30 PM BST.
Australia's second consecutive defeat left them on the verge of elimination. They will be knocked out if Afghanistan defeats Bangladesh in the late game on Tuesday night.
The England-India semi-final is a rematch of the 2022 World Cup, where England emerged victorious in Adelaide. However, rain is predicted for Thursday, and there is no reserve day. If the match is washed out, India will advance to Saturday's final due to their top finish in the Super Eight group.
England has not played in Guyana since the 2010 T20 World Cup, as the venue has been omitted from recent tours in favour of more tourist-friendly islands to attract travelling supporters.
Now, England faces the tournament's most in-form team, India, who have won all seven of their matches in this World Cup. In contrast, England barely made it to the last four, defeating only one other Test nation.
After securing their semi-final spot on Sunday, England spent Monday in their Barbados hotel, awaiting news of their next destination. The tournament is structured to ensure that India plays their semi-final on Thursday in Guyana to align with Asian broadcast times, giving India weeks to prepare for this eventuality, and potentially providing them a significant advantage.
England, who finished second in their group after South Africa eliminated West Indies to take the top spot, would have played a semi-final in Trinidad on Wednesday had Australia defeated India.
India's commanding batting performance, led by captain Rohit Sharma, set a high standard for their upcoming game against England. Rohit displayed his usual selfless, aggressive batting style from the 50-over World Cup, scoring 92 off just 41 balls. He took 28 runs off Mitchell Starc's first over and hit Pat Cummins’s first ball for six. Rohit also targeted leg-spinner Adam Zampa, who ended with his worst figures of the World Cup. Rohit hit seven fours and eight sixes, helping India set a target of 206 for Australia in St Lucia.
Australia kept pace with the required rate for 13 overs as Travis Head aggressively took on India. However, as England discovered in their daytime game in St Lucia, scoring becomes more difficult as the ball softens on the abrasive pitch. India’s spinners, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, effectively squeezed Australia's batting, taking a combined three for 45, before the fast bowlers finished the job.