In a display that left England's batsmen more bamboozled than a cat in a hall of mirrors, India's spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel conjured up a spell that would make Houdini proud, propelling the Men in Blue into the T20 World Cup final.

As the dust settled on a match that saw England's title defence crumble faster than a sandcastle at high tide, both camps reflected on a game that was as much a battle of wits as it was of willow and leather.

"Gun spinners," gushed Indian skipper Rohit Sharma. "It's difficult to play some shots, the pressure is on them as well, but they were calm and knew what to bowl."

Rohit, who has now led India to their third global final in the last 12 months, declared: Very satisfying to win this game. We worked really hard as a unit. To win this game like that was a great effort from everyone."

The architect of England's downfall, Axar Patel, whose left-arm spin proved lethal, revealed his secret sauce: "I tried bowling slower in this match and it worked for me. It wouldn't have worked had I bowled quicker. It would have been easier for their batters."

Axar, who snapped up three wickets, one each with the first delivery of his first three overs, added, "Since the wicket was slow, I tried bowling slower in this match and it worked for me. It wouldn't have worked had I bowled quicker."

In the England camp, the mood was sombre.

Captain Jos Buttler, looking like he'd just swallowed a particularly sour lemon, admitted, "India certainly outplayed us. We let them get 20-25 runs too many."

And just like that, memories of England's 10-wicket thrashing of India in last year's semi final faded.

As for the elephant in the room – or rather, the Virat Kohli in the middle – both coach Rahul Dravid and captain Rohit Sharma came out swinging in defence of their star batsman.

"I think there's a big one coming up," Dravid proclaimed. "I love the intent, I love the way he went about doing it. And for some reason, I don't want to jinx it but I think there's a big one coming up."

Rohit, not to be outdone, added, "Form is never a problem because when you have played cricket for 15 years, form is never a problem."

The skipper continued, "I thought he's looking good. The intent is there. It's probably saving for the finals."

Rohit emphasised the importance of staying calm under pressure: "We have been very calm as a team. We understand the occasion [final]. Staying composed helps you make good decisions. That'll help us make the game through."

Dravid couldn't stop singing praises of his captain. "Whatever I say will fall short," he gushed, sounding like a proud parent at a school recital. "The way he has worked with the team, his strategy, his maturity, the team's response to him, and the time he spends in strategy, planning, and discussion with all of us. I cannot speak more highly about him as a cricketer and also as a person."

This T20 World Cup final could mark Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's T20I swansong for India. As Dravid hints at Kohli's "big one coming" and Rohit leads the charge, fans worldwide hope for one last magical show from these cricketing giants on the global stage.

As India prepared to face South Africa in the final, Rohit's parting words hung in the air like a perfectly placed yorker: "We've got to keep making good decisions throughout the 40 overs and that will help us make the game through. And I thought in this game as well, we were very steady, we were very calm. We didn't panic too much."

One thing's for certain – if this semifinal was any indication, cricket fans are in for a treat on Saturday.

As Rohit put it, "We'll try our best, that's all I can say. The team is in good shape, they're playing well. All I can hope is to put up another good show come the finals."

As the final looms, fans face a bittersweet reality: this could be Rohit and Kohli's T20I swansong for India. With Dravid teasing a "big one" from Kohli, the cricketing world holds its breath, hoping for one last masterclass from these modern giants on the global stage.

(With inputs from PTI)