England T20 World Cup dreams crushed in brutal fashion by India as Harry Brook flops | Cricket | Sport

Harry Brook was at the heart of all things bad for England during their T20 World Cup semi-final defeat against India. The hosts set a stunning score of 253-7, and despite a valiant effort, England fell short of the required target.

But things might’ve been much different for the two-time T20 World Cup winners, given captain Brook dropped Sanju Samson at the beginning of his innings, when the Indian was on just 15 runs. It appeared a simple catch for Brook, with Samson having chipped the ball to mid-wicket around chest height.

However, rather inexplicably, Brook fumbled the ball, with Samson remaining at the crease instead. The opener went on to record a lightning-quick half-century in 26 balls before finishing his innings with a stunning return of 89 runs.

It proved the platform that India needed to set the breathtaking target for England to chase, but after another sluggish start from opener Phil Salt, who was dismissed after facing three balls, Brook was sent in to the heat of Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium. Yet, on a day to forget for the Yorkshireman, Brook was once again left wanting after he too gave away his wicket early, being caught out in the deep for seven.

In fairness, the catch from Axar Patel was somewhat of a stunner, given he plucked it out of the sky while his back was facing the wicket. But in the high-intensity environment of a World Cup semi-final, it’s exactly the sort of quality a prospective finalist needs to show.

With Jos Buttler and Tom Banton having also lost their wickets early, Jacob Bethell dragged England back into contention with a sensational knock. The 22-year-old’s innings eventually came to a close after 48 balls, with Bethell having scored a mind-boggling 105 in that time.

Ultimately, it was seven runs too many for England overall, as India saw out the final over to book their spot in Sunday’s final against New Zealand. It brings to an end a bit of a topsy-turvy World Cup from an England point of view, given some of their performances in the group stage were questionable to say the least.

Regardless, despite his struggles in the semi-final, Brook can leave with his head relatively high after a maiden World Cup as T20 skipper.