Team India were totally outplayed in the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final against England.
Chasing 169 to win, England openers Alex Hales and Jos Buttler made a mockery of India’s bowling attack and took their team over the line with four overs to spare.
After the game, India head coach Rahul Dravid acknowledged that England were too good but refused to call India's performance a 'debacle'.
“We tried to attack a little bit with our lengths up front. We thought that was a tactic. They played that really well," Dravid said in the post-match press conference.
"The ball didn't swing here probably as much as it has in other parts of Australia or in other conditions. Played a little bit into their hands, and class players like that, both Buttler and Hales, I thought their partnership was fantastic today.
"I think they just put the pressure on us, never let that go, and even when our spinners came on a wicket that we thought we might be able to control the game, they really counterattacked our spinners, as well, and put our spinners under a lot of pressure," he added.
Earlier, the Men in Blue posted 168/6 on the board after being asked to bat first. Hardik Pandya top scored with 33-ball 63 while Virat Kohli contributed 50 off 40 balls.
Dravid admitted that India were quite a few runs short on a flat Adelaide wicket.
"We were one of those teams that were, even in these conditions, scoring 180, 180 plus. I think we had done it two or three times in this tournament. So we were playing well,” the India coach stated.
“It's just, I think, maybe when the game started, the boys were saying it was a little bit tacky, it was a little bit slower. Having said that, they bowled really well. I thought they were really good up front.
"They hit really good lengths, didn't really let us get away. We felt at that 15-over mark we felt we were probably 15, 20 short, and we really had a good last five overs.
"I think Hardik out there was absolutely brilliant, but in the end it looked like we were a lot shorter than even 15, 20, but I think we should have been able to get to 180, 185 on that wicket. Maybe things might have been different with an early wicket after that," he further remarked.
(t20worldcup.com inputs)