India finished the group stage with a bang. Only one match was lost against South Africa. That too on a pitch where the South African pacers had a lot of advantage. Batting first in that match, the Indian team did not get off to a good start and had to stop short of runs. However, the Indian bowlers managed to keep the South African batsmen at bay till the last over. In the end, South Africa won the match.
Since then, the Indian team has been playing well and winning. England’s team also has fast bowlers like Mark Wood. But he is not so consistent. That allows batters to run against him. Sam Curran seems to be England’s best bowler so far. The bat also can become effective. Which gives more depth to the batting of the England team than the Indian team. This may be the reason why they are chasing big runs.
India’s strength is the run chase. From that point of view, it would be better to bat later. But it seems that the Indian team also prefers to bat first. Where the batsmen can play with an open mind without the pressure of chasing runs. Given Adelaide’s relatively small square boundaries and England’s batting depth, no run is safe. England has several left-handers in the batting order. And bowling against left-handers is Ashwin’s forte. Harshal Patel may also get a chance in this match. Because India may go down to four pacers and one spinner with Hardik Pandya’s fast-medium bowling.
Concern of India
India’s concern is still Rohit’s lack of consistency. But KL Rahul’s return to rhythm will surely keep the team at ease. With that, Virat Kohli will be able to take time to build an innings without pressure and become aggressive. So far the best batsman in this competition is Suryakumar Yadav. Playing some amazing shots is driving India’s score forward. His batting against South Africa and Zimbabwe was simply outstanding. What rule did not show in batting? He played a very important role in India’s victory. Rishabh Pant will surely be looking to take advantage of the short square boundary. If these two survive, they can take India to the final.
Rohit wants the best from the team in the race for the last four
In that year 2007, India tasted their only T20 World Cup win under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni. After 15 years, Rohit Sharma’s team is moving towards winning a T20 World Cup again. England faces India in the duel to reach the final today, Thursday.
On the day before the semi-final, Indian captain Rohit came to the press conference and explained how much they are playing against England. He made it clear that they have to play their best game to beat England. Rohit said, “We know very well in T20, exactly what kind of cricket is played. But beating England on English soil was a big test for us.”