India vs England T20 World Cup Semifinal: Old foes meet in Mumbai to fight for place in final | Match Preview

India and England will meet in yet another T20 World Cup semifinal, third on the trot, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday (Mar 5). While the two are not new to facing off against each other in ICC knockouts, they bring more than just cricket to the field, something everyone likes to watch. The two powerhouses of world cricket will fight for a place in the finale in Ahmedabad, promising a nail-biting contest at Team India’s fortress at Wankhede. Here is the match preview of the second semifinal between India and England.

Match Preview

India is oozing with confidence following their smooth yet fantastic Super 8 win over the West Indies, with Sanju Samson coming to the party and delivering a stunning performance. His unbeaten 97 was a testament to his class and ability to do it on the bigger stages, giving Team India a cushion at the top of the order.

Barring the usual talked-about worries, including Abhishek Sharma’s form, India’s batting unit is as settled as their position in world cricket, making them the hot favourites against any team across formats.

Coming to India’s bowling, which perhaps is their most-sorted department filled with match-winners, quick Jasprit Bumrah and spinner Varun Chakaravarthy will hold the keys, with India backing its ace seamer Arshdeep Singh to improve his death bowling.
On the other hand, England has everything to win for, having tasted tremendous success in the Super 8s. Their shaky start to the tournament did nothing to how they played in the second stage, with captain Harry Brook’s promotion to number three changing the team’s dynamics.

While they have their share of struggles in the top order, England’s batting depth makes up for the early horrors. Their bowling attack, however, has been effective, with handy contributions from their spinners and even part-timers like Will Jacks, who has so far picked seven wickets, winning four Player of the Match awards.

Even though England has the players and firepower to upset any team on their day, beating India would require more than just a good game.

Here are the predicted XIs of both teams –

India - Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh and Varun Chakaravarthy

England - Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid