England will now face Pakistan in the final at MCG. Hales and Buttler shine in an unbroken opening partnership. The tournament final will take place on Sunday.
At Adelaide Oval on Thursday, ruthless England humbled India by 10 wickets to go to the Twenty20 World Cup final. Alex Hales and captain Jos Buttler sparkled in a record-unbroken opening stand.
When England plays Pakistan in the White-Ball Cricket World Cup final on Sunday at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, they will have the opportunity to become the first team to carry both global trophies after winning the 50-over World Cup on home soil in 2019.
They owe their triumph to opener Hales and captain Buttler, who startled a sizable audience of India supporters by successfully chasing down 169 with four overs left.
Hales reached his final score of 86 unbeaten, and Buttler, who was unbeaten at 80, clinched the victory emphatically by hitting paceman Mohammed Shami over the head for six.
It was extra nice for Hales because he missed England’s 2019 victory due to a recreational drug issue.
He spent more than three years away from the England setup before being recalled to the team when Jonny Bairstow was hurt in an unlikely golf accident.
Hales, who has participated in a significant amount of Big Bash League domestic T20 cricket in Australia, stated, “This will be right up there for sure.”
“It’s a huge occasion playing India in the semi-final of a World Cup … Really happy with the way I played.
“It’s a special feeling in a country that I love and I’ve spent a lot of time here, so tonight is one of the best nights of my career.”
The England pair’s 170-run stand was their team’s biggest in the history of the tournament and sets up a mouthwatering duel against Pakistan, 30 years on from the teams’ 50-over World Cup final in 1992 at the MCG which Pakistan won.
