It was a Thursday with an early weekend vibe and the fans relished every second. Despite Jacob Bethell’s incandescent ton, India prevailed over England by seven runs in the ICC T20 World Cup semifinal in Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium.

Read the match highlights

Chasing India’s 253 for seven, England finished with 246 for seven. The visitors lost Philip Salt and skipper Harry Brook early. Even as Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah exulted, these wickets revealed Axar Patel’s safe hands. Running away from cover, Axar dived and caught Brook’s miscued shot.

Jos Buttler perhaps got carried away after seeing Bethell wade into Varun Chakaravarthy with three consecutive sixes. The opener’s mighty heave against the harassed spinner, was an exercise in hope, and the stumps were in disarray.

England kept galloping as Bethell was astounding, Tom Banton unleashed a five-ball 17, and Will Jacks amplified the effect. When Jacks tried to take the aerial route, a sprinting Axar caught, relayed the ball to Shivam Dube, before toppling across the ropes.

The visitors still leant on Bethell (105), and the manner in which he swatted Bumrah down the leg-side, revealed his aura. However, when the southpaw got run-out in the last over, England’s hopes were dashed.

Earlier, Brook won the toss, elected to field, and found a hurdle in Sanju Samson. The opener countered Jofra Archer’s initial salvo. A four down the ground elicited a short-pitched delivery, which was swivelled away for six over fine-leg.

Abhishek Sharma drilled two fours off spinner Jacks, and then found the fielder in the deep. Ishan Kishan immediately forged an alliance with Samson. The latter had a reprieve on 15, when he popped a catch off Archer, but a twitchy Brook dropped.

Samson shifted gears while Kishan found his pickings against Jacks and Jamie Overton. Meanwhile, Samson tucked into spinners Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson. And when Sam Curran ran in, Samson pulled him for six.

Meanwhile, Kishan perished and a returning Archer found Samson wielding a bruising sword. Two sixes rose into the skies, and when Samson (89) eventually succumbed to Jacks, the crowd rose in unison.

India found incremental growth through Shivam Dube, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik and Tilak Varma. The highlight was when Tilak scattered Archer for three sixes. The speedster castled the batter but it was too late a riposte as India prospered even when Bethell caused a scare.