Bairstow and Woakes star as England beat India

BIRMINGHAM: Jonny Bairstow hit a hundred before Chris Woakes starred as England ended India’s unbeaten run at this World Cup with a 31-run win on Sunday to once again leave semi-final qualification in their own hands.

England, who came into this match on the back of successive defeats by Sri Lanka and Australia, will be assured of a place in the last four if they beat New Zealand in their last group match on Wednesday.

Bairstow top-scored with 111 and all-rounder Ben Stokes added a brisk 79, with India paceman Mohammed Shami taking a career-best 5-69. Title contenders India weren’t up to the task as their chase petered out on 306-5.

India were a long way off from the moment opener KL Rahul was caught and bowled for a duck by Warwickshire paceman Woakes, who reeled off an impressive three straight maidens with the new ball on his home ground.

Rohit Sharma, Rahul’s opening partner, should have fallen for four but Joe Root dropped a routine second-slip catch off fast bowler Jofra Archer. It threatened to be a costly miss with Sharma going on to 102, his third century of the tournament, in front of an overwhelmingly India-supporting capacity crowd of more than 24,000.

Sharma also shared a second-wicket stand of 138 with India captain Virat Kohli, whose 66 was the star batsman’s fifth successive fifty of this World Cup. But Kohli fell when he sliced Liam Plunkett to backward point.

Sharma went to three figures, after scores of 122 not out against South Africa and 140 against Pakistan, in 106 balls with 15 fours. But the pressure of the chase told when he was caught behind off a Woakes off-cutter to leave India 198-3 in the 37th over.

Rishabh Pant made 32 at better than a run-a-ball and it looked as if he had hit the first six of the innings only for Woakes, running round from deep backward square, to hold a brilliant diving catch.

India needed 104 more runs off the last 10 overs but their hopes faded when the big-hitting Hardik Pandya (45) holed out to substitute James Vince off fast bowler Plunkett, who justified his recall in place of off-spinner Moeen Ali with 3-55.

Earlier, Bairstow and Jason Roy (66), returning after missing three matches with a torn hamstring, shared a first-wicket stand of 160 — the highest opening partnership of the tournament.

England won toss

England

J Roy c sub (Jadeja) b Yadav 66

J Bairstow c Pant b Shami 111

J Root c Pandya b Shami 44

*E Morgan c Jadhav b Shami 1

B Stokes c sub (Jadeja) b Bumrah 79

†J Buttler c and b Shami 20

C Woakes c Sharma b Shami 7

L Plunkett not out 1

J Archer not out 0

Extras (b2, lb2, w4) 8

Total (seven wickets, 50 overs) 337

Did not bat: A Rashid, M Wood

Fall: 1-160, 2-205, 3-207, 4-277, 5-310, 6-319, 7-336

Bowling: Shami 10-1-69-5, Bumrah 10-1-44-1, Chahal 10-0-88-0, Pandya 10-0-60-0, Yadav 10-0-72-1

India

K Rahul c and b Woakes 0

R Sharma c Buttler b Woakes 102

*V Kohli c sub (Vince) b Plunkett 66

R Pant c Wood b Plunkett 32

H Pandya c sub (Vince) b Plunkett 45

†MS Dhoni not out 42

K Jadhav not out 12

Extras (lb1, w6) 7

Total (5 wickets, 50 overs) 306

Did not bat: K Yadav, M Shami, Y Chahal, J Bumrah

Fall: 1-8, 2-146, 3-198, 4-226, 5-267

Bowling: Woakes 10-3-58-2, Archer 10-0-45-0, Plunkett 10-0-55-3, Wood 10-0-73-0, Rashid 6-0-40-0, Stokes 4-0-34-0

Result: England won by 31 runs

Man of the Match: Jonny Bairstow (England)

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan), Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka). TV umpire: Ruchira Palliyaguruge (Sri Lanka). Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka)