Adil Rashid with a stunning 4-2 bowling figure set up a six-wicket thrashing victory over the title holders West Indies at the Twenty20 World Cup.
England skittled out West Indies for second world lowest 55 in 14.2 overs after they elected to field first in their Super 12 opener in Dubai.
Rashid returned to wrap up the West Indies innings after fellow spinner Moeen Ali rattled the opposition top order with two wickets.
Moeen opened the bowling for England with his off-spin and made an instant impact, first with a sharp running catch to remove Evin Lewis. He then got the wicket of Lendl Simmons.
Pace bowler Tymal Mills claimed two wickets including Chris Gayle, the only batsman to make double figures with his 13, as West Indies crumbled in a poor batting performance from the two-time champions.
Rashid entered the attack with West Indies on 44-6 and bowled the big-hitting Andre Russell for nought. He took two more wickets in successive balls in his next over and then wrapped up the innings.
He returned outstanding figures of 4-2 from his 2.2 overs of leg-spin.
West Indies avoided their worst T20 total of 45 against the same opposition in 2019.
West Indies rattled England’s top order before Jos Buttler (24) and skipper Eoin Morgan (7) took the team home in 8.2 overs in Dubai.
Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein took two wickets and Moeen was run out, but the target proved too meagre to challenge England.
“It was unacceptable, we accept that. These sorts of games sometimes, we just need to bin it,” said West Indies skipper Kieron Pollard.
“For us, it’s just a matter of finding our straps. Obviously, we play a lot of cricket around the world, and this is not the first time something like this has happened.”
Rashid Khan said, “We know we have got five-six bowlers there, match winners.”
He added, “So on any given day anyone can come and get wickets. For us it’s a bowling unit thing not just spinners or whatever.”
“He (Moeen) showcased his talent once again by bowling the first over,” said Rashid.
The spinner said, “Kept it tight and he set the tone for the rest of the innings, so all credit goes to him and all credit to the bowling unit for backing each other up.”
The two sides met five years after their clash in the 2016 final in Kolkata when Carlos Brathwaite hit Ben Stokes for four straight sixes in the last over.
But with Saturday´s crushing performance, England have fired a warning to their rivals in the seventh edition of T20´s showpiece event.
