England's ace spinner Adil Rashid etched his name into the annals of cricket history as he completed his 350th international wicket in the World Cup clash against India at the Ekana stadium in Lucknow on October 29, Sunday. By achieving this, he has joined an elite list, being only the ninth bowler and just the third English spinner claim this honour. However, his achievement came on a losing cause as India ended up beating England by 100 runs to record their sixth straight World Cup victory.
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Rashid snapped up two pivotal wickets, conceding only 35 runs across his ten-over spell. His crucial dismissals of Indian captain Rohit Sharma and the star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja played a significant role in restricting Team India to a paltry total of 229. With an economy of 3.50, Rashid's tight bowling reinforced why he's such a vital asset for England.
Delving into Rashid's illustrious career statistics, they paint a picture of consistency and mastery over his craft. Across 250 international matches, Rashid boasts 350 wickets with an average of 31.96. His best bowling figures stand at an impressive 5/27. Not only has he showcased his talent with the ball, but Rashid has also displayed prowess with the bat, notching up four international half-centuries.
Breaking down his performance across formats:
Tests: In 19 appearances, Rashid has 60 scalps with an enviable best of 5/49, complemented by two five-wicket innings.
ODIs: Playing 132 One Day Internationals, he has clinched 192 wickets. His best figures in this format mirror his overall best, standing at 5/27, with two instances of taking five wickets in an innings.
T20Is: Representing England in 99 T20Is, he has taken a wicket shy of a century, with 98 scalps. His standout performance in this format is a spell where he took 4 wickets and gave away just 2 runs.
England, having won the toss, decided to field first. The Indian batting, while showing patches of brilliance, had fair share of hiccups. Despite the early dismissals of Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, and Shreyas Iyer, the Indian innings found momentum courtesy of captain Rohit Sharma's sublime 87 and commendable contributions from KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav.
From England's bowling unit, David Willey spearheaded the attack with a 3/45 spell. Both Rashid and Chris Woakes bagged a couple of wickets each, with Mark Wood adding one to his tally.
In reply, Indian power-packed bowling line-up ran through the English batters and folded them for a paltry 129 to record an easy 100-run win, thanks to Mohammed Shami's brilliant 4/22, Jasprit Bumrah's 3/32 and Kuldeep Yadav's 2/24. India's victory meant defending champions are knocked out of the tournament which also ensured Men in Blue's entry in the World Cup 2023's semifinals.
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