LUCKNOW (Agencies): England’s miserable World Cup campaign slumped further as they collapsed to a 100-run defeat by hosts India in Lucknow.
Chasing 230 on a tricky pitch, the defending champions were bowled out for 129 amid raucous home support in their latest batting capitulation.
It is their fourth defeat in succession in India and their fifth overall – the first time they have lost five times at a World Cup.
After a steady start, Jasprit Bumrah dismissed Dawid Malan and Joe Root in consecutive deliveries to ignite the crowd and spark a horrible collapse of four wickets for nine runs in 27 balls. All 10 wickets went for just 99 runs.
Ben Stokes, like Root, was out for a duck.
He struggled for nine balls before being bowled playing an ugly slog to Mohammed Shami, who also knocked over Jonny Bairstow for 14 via an inside edge.
England had earlier been much improved with the ball in keeping to India to a score that looked just below par.
Rohit Sharma scored a composed 87 from 101 but David Willey’s 3-45, including Virat Kohli for nought, kept India’s star-studded batting line-up in check.
The results sends the unbeaten hosts back to the top of the table. They have also all but secured a semi-final spot.
England, meanwhile, are bottom and while they are still not mathematically out of the competition it is a matter of when not if.
Only the top seven teams at this tournament will join hosts Pakistan in the Champions Trophy in 2025 so England have work to do.
Another miserable day for England
Unlike their previous defeats, England played well for more than half of this game, but those losses have sapped all of the confidence of a once great batting line-up.
India’s bowling was superb and the pitch not easy. There was turn and uneven bounce and England’s top order fell lack a pack of cards after Malan played on to Bumrah.
Root emerged to a cauldron of noise, horns blaring and Indian flags waving, and missed a straight ball. He reviewed and thought a slight spike on the review system was an inside edge but the third umpire disagreed.
Stokes was beaten four times by Shami before swinging across the line and having his stumps splattered.
Captain Jos Buttler was bowled by a ripper from wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav while Moeen Ali nicked off on 15 to become Shami’s third victim. Liam Livingstone was the highest scorer with 27.
It is the fourth time in a row England have been bowled out in this competition and they are getting worse.
Against Afghanistan they made 215, against South Africa 170, Sri Lanka 156 and now in Lucknow 129.
The decisive blow could now come on Saturday at the hands of old rivals Australia in Ahmedabad.
A bowling performance wasted
England had put in their best performance in India so far – eight days after conceding 399 against South Africa, their most expensive bowling effort in 50-over cricket.
Willey set the tone by beginning with a maiden. When Rohit struck two sixes and a four in his next over England did not panic.
Chris Woakes has struggled throughout this tournament but he struck first by bowling Shubman Gill through the gate. He bowled seven overs on the spin for 2-23 – he also had Shreyas Iyer caught top-edging a pull for four – having taken 1-113 across his previous four new-ball efforts.
Willey was the pick. He celebrated wildly when Kohli tried to hit him back over his head but was caught at cover.
Crucially, Rohit and KL Rahul led a rebuild. They batted carefully, something that currently looks beyond England, for a partnership of 91.
But as they started to open their arms, Willey ended the stand with the second ball of his comeback spell as Rahul miscued the left-armer to mid-on.
Adil Rashid ended Rohit’s stay with a googly that was miscued to cover and Willey provided another crucial breakthrough by having Suryakumar caught at deep cover, just as he threatened a big finish with 49 from 47 balls.
Still, the effort was not enough with England’s batters folding yet again in a tournament that cannot end quickly enough.
