The second semifinal of the ICC T20 World Cup will be played between India and England at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday, 10th November. India were table toppers of group 2 whereas England were second to New Zealand in group 1.
India and England have a fair share of history between them. They are the number 1 and 2 teams in the ICC T20 Team Rankings. India came into this World Cup without their preferred players; the same was for England.
Jasprit Bumrah is a top T20 bowler and his injury was a significant worry for team India. His direct replacement was Mohammad Shami. In England’s case, they, too had customised their squad list due to injuries.
Having said that both teams have defied all the odds and made their way into the semifinals. The Indian bowling line-up has performed to the best of their abilities.
The Only Issue for India Has Been the Spinners
So far India have gone with Axar Patel and Ravichandran Ashwin as their spin options. Where spinners of other teams have played a key role for their teams, Axar and Ashwin haven’t really done much for India.
In T20 cricket, the middle overs are crucial for both teams. Captains generally go for a spin option to slow the game down and pick wickets and regular intervals. For India, the middle overs have been the worst phase of the match. Rohit Sharma has had to go back to his pacers for wickets, which makes him change his calculations for the death overs.
Yuzvendra Chahal Has Been India’s Best Spin Option in T20 Cricket for a While
He has a knack of picking wickets. The Australian pitches have favored the wrist spinners so far. The flight and turn that Chahal brings to the batsmen can be deceptive at times.
Chahal should definitely be considered over Axar Patel against England. Yes India has opted for Axar because of the batting depth, but with the form Suryakumar Yadav, Virat Kohli, and Kl Rahul are in, India does not need to worry about batting depth.
Another Change That India Should Continue With Is Rishabh Pant Over Dinesh Kartik
Due to his expertise in "finishing," veteran wicket-keeper hitter Dinesh Karthik has so far been chosen to bat behind the stumps. Pant was selected to start the game against Zimbabwe, however, he was unable to capitalise on the chance, leaving after only 3 balls.
Former Indian coach Ravi Shastri also picks Pant over Kartik. Especially in light of the southpaw's past results against the opponents, Shastri wants Pant to take Karthik's place against England.
The left-handedness of Pant, along with the short square boundaries in Adelaide, where the match will be played on Thursday, could potentially prove to be a key advantage for India, according to Shastri.
Indian head coach Rahul Dravid also hinted at making changes. He is confident about every player in the 15 man squad. There will surely be some changes against England but we will only know before the match who they are.
