Jos Buttler reveals the big decisions that set up huge win over India

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England’s ten-wicket win over India in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup semi-final was a high point of the team’s tournament and the best performance so far of Jos Buttler’s captaincy tenure.

To beat the world’s top-ranked Men’s T20I team in such an emphatic manner is a huge statement from England ahead of Sunday’s final against Pakistan.

Buttler and his opening partner Alex Hales will rightly take the headlines after their record-breaking opening stand.

But there is more to producing a performance of such dominance than it just being a great day out for two batters.

Sticking with a batting-heavy approach

There is no one way to approach T20I selection, but leaning into a squad’s strength is almost always the best policy. For some teams that means picking a bowling-heavy XI and trying to always get to a competitive score with the bat.

But England’s strength is with the bat, and they made a big call to name just four front-line bowlers in their side throughout the World Cup, going against the pattern used for much of the previous six months.

Having seven genuine batters and then three all-rounders in Sam Curran, Chris Woakes and Chris Jordan, meant England batted right down to number ten against India. And even last-man-in Adil Rashid can play.

That strength in depth gives top-order players the confidence to take risks, and the aggression from Hales and Buttler in the opening overs suggested they had total faith in the rest of the team if their powerplay gamble didn’t pay off.

“We always want to start as fast as we can and aggressive,” Buttler said.

“Adil Rashid was down at No. 11 today, and that gives us the freedom to come out aggressive, that depth.

“It’s our best performance so far in the tournament, and to do it on a day like today is incredibly satisfying. You couldn’t ask for a better run-chase. With such a long batting line-up it gives you a lot of freedom to play.”