The 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup moved from the Caribbean islands to South America. Providence Stadium in Georgetown, Guyana, sat under a thick overcast sky. The air off the Demerara River was humid and carried the scent of rain and wet earth.
This was the second semi-final. Win, and India would reach the final in Barbados against South Africa. Lose, and the campaign would end.
The opponent was England. Jos Buttler's side relied on aggressive power-hitting. Siddanth Deva's India adapted to conditions and used spin when the pitch allowed.
The surface in Guyana suited that approach. Up in the commentary box the panel looked at the pitch.
"Welcome to Providence," Harsha Bhogle said. "We are close to the toss in this semi-final. The winner goes to Barbados to meet South Africa. But first the surface. Ricky, Ian… this is not Antigua or St. Lucia."
"It is a different pitch," Ricky Ponting said, studying the bare patches. "It is slow and low. It does not bounce true. Batsmen who plant the front foot and hit through the line will struggle. You have to wait for the ball."
"And that helps the spinners," Ian Bishop added. "If the ball grips it will turn. England have the pace of Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, but India have a strong spin attack for these conditions. The toss matters a great deal."
Down on the pitch Siddanth Deva walked out in the dark blue BCCI kit. Jos Buttler waited, serious.
The match referee flipped the coin.
"Tails," Buttler called.
It landed tails.
Ravi Shastri stepped forward with the microphone.
"Jos, you have won the toss. What is your decision?"
"We will field first, Ravi. With the overcast conditions we hope there is some early moisture for the seamers. The pitch looks a bit tacky and we prefer to know the target in a knockout game."
Shastri turned to Deva. The Indian contingent in the stands raised the volume.
"Siddanth, losing the toss and batting first on a difficult pitch. Does that worry you?"
"It does not worry us, Ravi bhai. We were looking to bat first anyway. This is a typical Guyana surface. It is dry underneath and will slow down as the match goes on. We want runs on the board and then let our spinners control the second innings."
"And your playing eleven?"
"We have adapted. Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Virat Kohli, myself, Rishabh Pant with the gloves, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Arjun Tendulkar, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah."
The captains shook hands. The game was set.
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India began under overcast skies. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Sanju Samson walked out to face Jofra Archer and Reece Topley.
Archer opened with a hard length, the ball holding in the surface. Samson left the first two carefully. Archer then dragged one short and Samson pulled it into the gap at mid-wicket for two. The third ball was fuller; Samson drove it firmly to cover but found the fielder.
From the other end Topley, tall and left-arm, extracted extra bounce. In the second over he hit a back-of-a-length line just outside off. Jaiswal, looking to take the powerplay on, stepped out and tried a flat-batted pull over mid-wicket. The ball gripped, arrived a fraction slower, and took the outer half of the bat. It sliced high toward mid-off. Jos Buttler settled under it and took a clean reverse-cup catch.
"Caught! Early breakthrough for England," Ian Bishop said. "Yashasvi Jaiswal tries to force the pace on a sluggish surface and pays the price. Reece Topley gives England exactly the start they wanted."
India were 12 for 1 after 1.4 overs.
Virat Kohli walked out and tapped gloves with Samson.
"The ball is holding up, Virat bhai," Samson said over the noise. "Archer is hitting the deck hard. It is not coming on."
"We use their pace," Kohli replied. "We find the gaps and do not let them settle."
Kohli took strike against Topley. The first ball was short of a length; Kohli rose with it and dropped it into the off side for a single. Samson then faced Archer and worked a length ball into the leg side for another single.
In the third over Archer strayed onto the pads. Kohli flicked it with soft hands through mid-wicket and the ball raced to the boundary. The next delivery was fuller; Kohli drove it firmly past mid-off for three. Samson rotated the strike again with a push into the covers.
Sam Curran came on for the fifth over. Kohli stepped down the track to a length ball and drove it through the covers, the timing pure, the ball reaching the rope. The partnership began to settle. Samson played a controlled cut behind point for two more. By the end of the sixth over India had moved to 48 for 1. The run rate was steady rather than explosive, but the openers had seen off the new ball.
In the eighth over Buttler introduced Adil Rashid. Rashid tossed the first ball up, drifting it away from the right-hander. Kohli watched it carefully and defended. The second ball was given more flight. Kohli stepped out, looking for the inside-out lofted drive over extra cover. The ball gripped the dry surface, turned past the outside edge, and left Kohli stranded. Buttler gathered cleanly and removed the bails in one motion.
"Stumped! Big wicket for Adil Rashid," Ricky Ponting said. "Virat Kohli is beaten by the flight and the sharp turn. He goes for 27 off 19 balls. The pitch is offering real help to the spinners now."
Kohli walked off to respectful applause. He had played several clean strokes and given the innings a platform, but the pitch had claimed him. India were 64 for 2 in the eighth over.
The stadium announcer called: "Incoming batsman… the Captain, Siddanth Deva!"
Deva walked out at a steady pace, tapped gloves with Samson and took a long look around the field.
"The spin is sharp, Sid bhai," Samson said. "Rashid is turning it square. We cannot hit through the line."
"We do not hit through the line, Sanju. We play late, under our eyes, and rotate the strike. I will hold one end. You keep the scoreboard moving when you can."
Deva took strike against Rashid. The first ball was flighted outside off. Deva went deep in the crease, waited for the turn, and opened the face to guide it past short third for a single. Samson then worked Moeen Ali, who had come on at the other end, into the leg side for another single.
Over the next few overs Deva settled into a clear method. Against Rashid he used the depth of the crease, letting the ball spin and then placing it into gaps. Against Moeen's flatter trajectory he stepped out early to smother the turn and push into the large outfield. He turned quiet ones into twos by calling early and running hard.
"This is controlled batting," Harsha Bhogle said. "The captain is not looking for boundaries every ball. He is using the gaps, forcing the fielders to work, and keeping the strike rate healthy without taking risks."
Samson continued to play his part. He swept Rashid fine for four when the length was wrong, then fell in the eleventh over trying to clear long-on against Livingstone. The catch was taken comfortably on the boundary. India were 89 for 3.
Rishabh Pant walked in. He reverse-swept the first ball he faced from Livingstone for four, the shot clean and deliberate. Two balls later he tried to repeat the stroke against a flatter delivery and mistimed it to short third. India were 97 for 4.
Hardik Pandya joined Deva. He took a couple of balls to settle, then launched a length ball from Chris Jordan over long-on for six. The next over he tried a similar shot against a slower ball and was caught at deep mid-wicket. India were 118 for 5 after 14 overs.
Through the fall of wickets Deva remained calm. He faced the majority of the deliveries, rotated the strike whenever possible, and punished the occasional short ball. When Jordan dragged one down, Deva pulled it flat through mid-wicket for four. When Archer returned and bowled a hard length, Deva dropped it into the off side and ran a sharp single.
By the end of the 16th over India had reached 142 for 5. Deva was on 41 off 28 balls. The total was solid on the surface, but he wanted a higher one.
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At the drinks break Ravindra Jadeja walked out to join Deva. Both men took water and looked at the scoreboard.
"The rebuilding phase is done, Jaddu," Deva said. "They have used most of their spin. Archer and Jordan will come back with yorkers and slower balls into the pitch. Just get me on strike. I am going after the death bowling now."
Jadeja grinned and nodded. "The strike is yours, Captain."
The seventeenth over was bowled by Chris Jordan. The first two balls were full and into the blockhole. The third ball was a slower off-cutter outside off. Deva waited, stepped deep into the crease and drove it hard and flat over the bowler's head. The ball crashed into the sight-screen for six.
"Straight over the top," Ian Bishop said. "He waited for the slower ball and hit it cleanly."
Jordan tried a wide yorker next. Deva reached for it and squeezed it past short third for two more. Jadeja took a single off the last ball to keep Deva on strike.
Jofra Archer came on for the eighteenth over. He started with a hard length. Deva pulled it into the gap at mid-wicket for two. The third ball was a full yorker at 148 kmph, aimed at the base of middle. Deva shuffled across early, opened the face at the last moment and ramped it over the leaping short third-man fielder for four.
"That is exceptional skill," Ricky Ponting said. "A perfect yorker and he has used the pace to ramp it away. Very few players in the world can do that consistently."
Archer followed with a short ball. Deva swayed inside the line and let it go. The next was fuller; Deva drove it through extra cover for two more. Jadeja took a single off the final ball.
In the nineteenth over Jordan returned. He tried a heavy bouncer. Deva stood tall, rode the bounce and pulled it over mid-wicket for six. The next ball was full and wide; Deva reached and sliced it over point for four. Two more singles followed. Deva had moved to 71 off 38.
The final over was bowled by Archer. Deva took a single off the first ball. Jadeja pushed the second into the off side for another single. Deva then whipped a full delivery through square leg and ran hard for two. The fourth ball was a yorker; Deva dug it out for one. Jadeja took a single off the fifth. On the last ball Deva stepped across and worked another full ball into the leg side for two more.
Deva walked off unbeaten on 84 off 44 balls. India finished at 198 for 6.
"A controlled first half and then a strong finish," Harsha Bhogle said. "Deva held the innings together when wickets were falling and then took the death overs apart. On this pitch 198 is a very good total."
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Jos Buttler and Phil Salt walked out to chase 199. Their intent was clear: attack the new ball before the pitch slowed further and the spinners settled.
Deva handed the new white Kookaburra balls to Jasprit Bumrah and Arjun Tendulkar.
Bumrah opened from the Pavilion End. He hit a hard, back-of-a-length line immediately. The ball skidded and stopped on the surface. Salt played and missed the first two. The third ball was fuller; Salt drove it firmly but straight to mid-off. Bumrah finished the over with another hard length that beat the outside edge. It was a maiden.
"Bumrah has started perfectly," Ravi Shastri said. "No width, hard lengths, and the ball is doing a little off the surface. Salt has not been able to get bat on ball."
Arjun Tendulkar took the other end. He ran in with a clear plan, focusing on upright seam and full length. The first ball swung late and beaten Salt's outside edge. The second was fuller still. Salt strode forward looking to drive through the covers. The ball swung late and dipped back into the right-hander, beating the inside edge and crashing into the front pad. The appeal was loud and immediate. The umpire raised his finger.
"What a delivery," Shastri said. "Arjun Tendulkar with the late inswinger. Phil Salt is trapped in front. First blood to India and the young left-armer has delivered on the big stage."
Salt reviewed, but ball-tracking showed three reds. England were 0 for 1 after 1.2 overs.
Buttler came in and took strike. Arjun bowled two more full deliveries that swung late; Buttler defended solidly. The over finished with a single worked into the leg side.
Bumrah returned for the third over. He mixed hard lengths with an off-cutter that gripped. Buttler played and missed once, then edged a short ball just short of slip. The pressure was building.
In the fourth over Arjun continued with the full length. Buttler drove one through mid-off for two, but the movement was still there. Bumrah then produced the next breakthrough. He bowled a 142 kmph off-cutter that gripped and left Buttler. The English captain tried to heave across the line, missed completely, and heard the off stump being knocked back.
"Bowled him!" Ian Bishop said. "Bumrah with the off-cutter. Jos Buttler is gone and England are 22 for 2 after four overs. The new ball has done the early damage."
Deva, standing at mid-off, spoke briefly to both bowlers and then signalled for the spinners. The shine was off the ball and the openers were gone. It was time for the middle-overs plan.
As the fielding restrictions lifted, Deva brought on Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel from opposite ends. He set an attacking field: short mid-wicket, catching cover, a slip, and fielders on the edge of the circle to cut off the singles.
Jadeja opened with a flat trajectory at good pace. Moeen Ali tried to sweep the second ball and missed. The third ball was fired into the pads; Moeen tried a reverse sweep, the ball skidded low, took the glove and looped to Pant behind the stumps. Simple catch.
"Caught behind," Ponting said. "Axar has the same plan from the other end. Flat, quick, no flight. England are being given nothing to work with."
Jonny Bairstow came in and tried to be positive. He drove Jadeja into the covers for two, then attempted to work one across the line. Jadeja's arm-ball went straight on, beat the inside edge and hit the pad. The umpire's finger went up. Bairstow reviewed, but it was hitting middle.
England were 34 for 4 after seven overs.
Kuldeep Yadav replaced Axar. He tossed the first ball up, drifting it away from the right-hander. Liam Livingstone watched it carefully. The second ball was given more flight and dipped late. Livingstone swung hard across the line looking for mid-wicket. The ball turned past the bat and hit middle stump.
"Bowled him!" Bishop said. "Kuldeep with the googly. Livingstone is completely beaten in the flight. England are 41 for 5 and the required rate is climbing fast."
Harry Brook joined the innings. He played two solid defensive strokes, then tried to step down the track against Kuldeep. Deva, who had brought himself on at the other end, saw the movement early, dragged his length back, and extracted an extra bit of bounce outside off. Brook flashed hard, only to send a thick outside edge flying to the right of the keeper. Pant airborne, launched himself horizontally to pluck a stunning, one-handed catch out of thin air.
"Caught!" Shastri called. "The captain has bowled the perfect ball. Brook is gone and England are 48 for 6. This is a collapse."
The required rate had already passed twelve. Sam Curran and Chris Jordan tried to rebuild, but Jadeja and Axar continued to bowl tight lines. Boundaries were almost impossible. The fielders remained on the edge of the circle, cutting off the easy singles. Curran managed a couple of hard-run twos, but the pressure was constant.
In the twelfth over Jadeja produced another arm-ball that trapped Curran in front. The umpire raised the finger again. England were 61 for 7.
By the fifteenth over England had crawled to 78 for 7. The match was beyond them. The lower order was simply trying to bat out the overs.
Deva brought Bumrah and Arjun Tendulkar back. Both bowlers went straight to the blockhole. Arjun produced a 141 kmph inswinging yorker that beat Chris Jordan's defence and hit the base of middle stump.
"Cleaned up," Ponting said. "Arjun Tendulkar with another yorker. He has been excellent with the new ball and now at the death."
Bumrah finished the innings in the seventeenth over. He bowled a heavy full delivery that crashed into Reece Topley's toes. The appeal was immediate. The umpire raised his finger. Topley reviewed, but the ball was hitting the stumps.
England were all out for 94 in 16.4 overs.
India had won by 104 runs.
"It is all over in Guyana," Harsha Bhogle said as the Indian players came together. "A complete performance from start to finish. Deva paced the batting innings perfectly to reach 198, and then the bowling unit, led by the spinners and finished by the pacers, dismantled England."
"A clear plan executed well," Ricky Ponting added. "They used the conditions, they held their nerve when early wickets fell, and they never let England settle. That is a semi-final performance of high quality."
The Indian players celebrated on the pitch. Bumrah put an arm around Arjun Tendulkar. Kohli and Deva shared a long embrace. Pant and Jadeja joined the group. They had beaten England by a wide margin and booked their place in the final in Barbados.
Deva shook hands with Jos Buttler, offered a quiet word, and walked off the field. The semi-final was finished. South Africa waited in the final, but India had arrived there with a performance that matched the demands of the occasion.