England captain Jos Buttler conceded that his side was thoroughly outplayed by India in the T20 World Cup semifinals at the Providence Stadium.
The defending champions’ pursuit of 171 runs faltered against the spin duo of Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, leading Buttler to acknowledge in hindsight that he should have utilized the other spinner in his squad, Moeen Ali.
On a pitch that behaved predictably by becoming slower and lower with significant turn, Buttler opted to chase after winning the toss.
While he didn’t regret the decision initially, he admitted that India managed to score at least 20-25 runs more than what England had planned for, attributing it to shortcomings in both strategy and execution.
“Yeah, disappointing.
I think we were outplayed by India.
They fully deserved the victory,” Buttler said.
“I felt they had an above-par score.
I was hoping to restrict them to 145 – 150 probably on that pitch.
It was always going to be a tough chase from there.”
England’s spinners on the day – Adil Rashid and Liam Livingstone – managed only one wicket between them, conceding 49 runs in eight overs combined.
Conversely, India’s spinners bowled 11 overs, claiming 6 wickets while conceding just 58 runs.
Axar Patel struck crucial blows by dismissing Buttler with his first delivery and then removing Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali in quick succession.
Kuldeep Yadav complemented him well, picking up three wickets of his own to derail England’s chase.
“Obviously, they’ve got some fantastic spinners,” Buttler remarked.
“Our two guys bowled well, but in hindsight, I should have brought Moeen in earlier considering how the spin was playing.”
Reflecting on England’s overall campaign, Buttler highlighted the challenges they faced and acknowledged reaching the semifinals as an achievement.
However, he expressed disappointment at falling short of their ultimate goal to win the tournament.
“To be honest, I’m just looking forward to some time away from the game,” Buttler concluded emotionally.
“I think, as I sit here, after a loss, I don’t need to dive too deep into reflecting on the tournament right now.
I just look forward to some space from the game.”
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