England captain Harry Brook admitted he made a “big mistake” after dropping Sanju Samson during England’s narrow defeat to India national cricket team in the semi-final of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Brook spilled a straightforward chance when Samson had scored just 15, misjudging a lofted shot to mid-on. The missed opportunity proved costly as Samson went on to punish England with a superb unbeaten 97, guiding India to a huge total near 250.
Reflecting on the moment, Brook admitted the error played on his mind throughout the match.
“I’ll hold my hands up and say that I made a big mistake there dropping Samson,” Brook said. “Catches win matches, don’t they? Unfortunately, it just didn’t stay in my hands. I kept looking at the scoreboard and he was piling the runs on.”
Samson’s innings turned the game firmly in India’s favour as he added 74 more runs after the drop, taking the pressure off the hosts and energising the crowd in Mumbai.
England had further problems in the field. While Brook later produced a direct-hit run-out to dismiss Shivam Dube, another chance went down when Tom Banton failed to hold on to a difficult diving catch that would have removed Hardik Pandya.
In contrast, India’s fielding proved decisive. Axar Patel produced a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Brook and later played a key role in a brilliant relay effort with Dube to remove Will Jacks.
England head coach Brendon McCullum said the difference between the two teams came down to crucial moments in the field.
“The difference was those big catches,” McCullum said. “In knockout games you need to take those chances.”
England’s exit ended an otherwise impressive tournament, while India advanced to the final after edging a thrilling high-scoring contest in front of a packed Wankhede crowd. 🏏