West Indies vs England: Ben Stokes extinguishes England fire

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England went into the final over with 19 runs to defend. A brilliant penultimate over (eight runs) from Chris Jordan had tilted the balance in their favour. Carlos Brathwaite might have had a Rs 4.2 crore IPL contract from Delhi Daredevils, but with only seven ODIs and eight T20 internationals under his belt, he is a spring chicken in international cricket. It was England’s game to lose. But Stokes blew it away. Four length balls in a row and all of them disappeared into the crowd. For the fourth time – 1979, 1987 and 1992 World Cup finals and this World T20 title round – England failed to get over the line in the final of an ICC event, putting a serious question mark over their winning mentality. But a fair analysis should spare this team of harsh criticism. England still had a lot of positives to take from this game; from the tournament to be precise.

Read: These 15 men put adversity aside, says Darren Sammy

They lost the toss and had to bat first. Their X-factor, Jason Roy, survived only two balls. Wickets were falling around Joe Root, who was expected to bat through. But he got out at the wrong time, attempting a premeditated scoop, the silliness of which reminded the old-timers of Mike Gatting’s reverse sweep at this venue 29 years ago. England’s total of 155/9 was below par on this surface.

Read: Yes, WI can

But they didn’t throw in the towel and came back brilliantly, picking up three wickets inside three overs. The danger man Chris Gayle, last match hero Lendl Simmons and big-hitting Johnson Charles figured among the casualties. And Morgan tightened the noose.

Watch: West Indies Seal Thriller, Lift 2nd WT20 Title

The skipper had a poor tournament with the bat – 66 runs in six matches – but his captaincy was excellent. Morgan was spot on with his bowling changes and field placements, piling pressure on the opposition. Left-arm seamer David Willey epitomised England’s fightback, conceding only one four in his four overs and taking three wickets.

PHOTOS: West Indies celebrate in ‘champion’ style

Stokes blinder at deep mid-wicket to dismiss Andre Russell spoke volumes of the team’s resolve. Still England lost, because Marlon Samuels was playing to prove his critics (read, Shane Warne) wrong and more importantly, West Indies had match-winners down to No. 8. England were defeated but never disgraced. They have had fantastic campaign to build for the future.

Read: Usain Bolt celebrates West Indies win with ‘Champion’ dance

About three weeks ago, when England had arrived here for the World T20, nobody gave them a chance. It was a logical assessment, given their past record in limited-overs cricket. Losing the opening game against West Indies put them in a tight corner. But the ‘new’ England of Morgan and Trevor Bayliss refused to give up. Running down 230 to win against South Africa was the turning point. The clinical precision with which they decimated the high-flying New Zealand in the semi-final attested their progress in the shorter formats. Bereft of a world-class spinner or a batting superstar; England more than made up for missing jigsaws with their team effort. They were the only team among the cricket elites not to have significant IPL experience (except Morgan) in their ranks. Unlike India or Australia, they don’t have a strong domestic T20 league either.

Read: Who said what about West Indies’ win over England

In the final, they simply didn’t have enough runs on the board against a marauding batting side. England will be hosting the 2017 Champions Trophy and the 2019 World Cup. They now have a solid foundation and the right mentality to build on.