After Michael Vaughan posted on social media to “congratulate” India on defeating England, the reigning champion, by 68 runs on Thursday to advance to the 2024 T20 World Cup final, he received a lot of backlash.

India is deserving of a spot in the championship game. The greatest squad in the competition so far. England was always going to have it tough on this field. On slower, lower spinning pitches, India is simply so much better,” he wrote on X.

The finest answer to Michael Vaughan’s evaluation came from India’s spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Wasim Jaffer, Michael Vaughan’s rival and well-wisher, was also quick to inquire about the former England captain’s well-being after India’s victory.

The match between the two undefeated teams in the competition will now take place on Saturday at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, between India and South Africa.

After more than two and a half hours of the second semifinal were missed owing to rain and a soggy outfield, Rohit Sharma’s (57) second half-century helped India assemble 171/7.

After that, England was bowled out for 103 in 16.3 overs on a skiddy, low pitch bereft of grass by spinners Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav, who combined for 6/42 with several sharp turners. This resulted in England’s elimination from the competition.

A smiling Sharma said, “If bowlers and batters adapt, things fall into place.”

“Kuldeep and Axar are skilled gun spinners. In these circumstances, it was difficult to play shots against them, but they remained composed under duress, he said.

India’s victory was sweet retribution after losing to England by 10 wickets in Adelaide, Australia, during the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal.

Jos Buttler, the captain of England, said that India outperformed them.

He said, “We allowed them to get 20–25 runs too many on a difficult surface. They had an above-par total and it was always a difficult chase.”

“Kuldeep and Axar are skilled gun spinners. In these circumstances, it was difficult to play shots against them, but they remained composed under duress, he said.

India’s victory was sweet retribution after losing to England by 10 wickets in Adelaide, Australia, during the 2022 World Cup quarterfinal.

Jos Buttler, the captain of England, said that India outperformed them.

He said, “We allowed them to get 20–25 runs too many on a difficult surface. They had an above-par total and it was always a difficult chase.”