Axar Patel hails 'Yorker King' Bumrah after India's thrilling T20 WC semifinal win

In the semifinal clash, India posted a daunting 253-7 while batting first with help of Sanju Samson's 42-ball 89. However, England, courtesy of Jacob Bethell's century, were in the hunt for India's target for most of the match.

With England appearing to be on course for victory, the match's turning point came when Jasprit Bumrah delivered a brilliant 18th over, conceding just six runs while England needed 45 from the final three overs at the start of it. He bowled four pinpoint yorkers in the over. Following his effort, Hardik Pandya further tightened the pressure with an excellent penultimate over, giving away only nine runs and dismissing Sam Curran. India eventually managed to restrict England to 246/7, winning the match by a slim seven-run margin.

Earlier, Bumrah also bowled a tight 16th over, giving away just eight runs in the over.

Speaking on JioHotstar, Axar Patel said Jasprit Bumrah's precise yorkers in the overs under pressure showcased why he's called the "Yorker King," boosting the team's confidence as they head into the final.

"We knew the last two overs from Jasprit Bumrah would be crucial. On this wicket, the margin for error was very small. The way he delivered those yorkers under pressure shows why he is called the 'Yorker King'. He knows exactly how to take the team out of difficult situations. Performing like that on such a wicket gives the entire team confidence. Everyone is contributing, and we are very excited heading into the final," Axar said on JioHotstar.

Axar Patel also contributed with two excellent and crucial catches in the field, to help India dismiss Phil Salt and then captain Harry Brook. Axar reflected on his two key catches, highlighting the difficulty of the wicket and the need for quick decision-making and calm under pressure. He praised teamwork and precise judgment in executing both crucial catches.

"It was a very tough wicket for the bowlers, so as a fielder, taking catches or saving runs becomes very important. The first one is one of my favourite catches because I was running backwards, which is always difficult as your vision can get a little unstable. At the last moment, I took a brief pause before completing the catch, and that helped me judge the ball better. The second catch came at a crucial moment when the partnership was building. Initially, I felt the ball might go beyond me, but then I realised I could reach it. Credit also goes to Shivam as we communicated well in that moment. These situations require quick decisions within a fraction of a second, and staying calm under pressure is extremely important," he said. Axar Patel also hailed Sanju Samson's 42-ball 89 runs knock that helped Team India post a massive score in the first innings. He praised Sanju Samson's mental toughness and noted that his confidence has grown a lot after two match-winning knocks, with the earlier one being against West Indies where he scored an unbeaten 97 to help India win the do-or-die Super 8s clash and reach the semifinal.

"Sanju has played two very good innings back-to-back. His experience is clearly helping him in these situations. Everyone has skill, but mental toughness is extremely important in matches like this. After the previous innings, his confidence has grown a lot. He knows he can win a game from any situation. The start he provided on this wicket was exactly what the team needed, and the way he played his shots showed great confidence. We will need that kind of start again in the final," Axar Patel said.

Put to bat first, a fiery knock from Sanju Samson (89* in 42 balls, with eight fours and seven sixes) and cameos from Shivam Dube (43 in 25 balls, with a four and four sixes), Ishan Kishan (39 in 18 balls, with four boundaries), Hardik Pandya (27 in 12 balls, with three fours and two sixes) and Tilak Varma (21 in seven balls, with three sixes) took India to 253/7 in 20 overs.

Despite having England down at 95/4, India could not dominate them as Jacob Bethell (105 in 48 balls, with eight fours and seven sixes) and Will Jacks (35 in 20 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) put a counter-attacking 77-run stand for the fifth wicket.

While Bethell continued to march on and a fiery four-ball cameo of 19 from Jofra Archer took England really close, England ended seven runs short of India's target, at 246/7.

For India, Jasprit Bumrah (1/33 in 4 overs), Axar Patel (1/35 in 3 overs) amd Hardik Pandya (2/38 in 4 overs) were the standout performers with the ball.

The final is set to take place in Ahmedabad, where India will look to continue their impressive run and secure another major ICC title by defeating New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium on March 8.

- ANI