Suryakumar Yadav (right) with Tilak Varma during the training session. (Getty Images)
Mumbai: India and England will face off in the semi-final of the T20 World Cup for the third time in a row at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday evening. Both teams have recorded one win in their previous encounters in the knockout stages, with the winner on both occasions going to lift the trophy.Go beyond boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!England thrashed India by 10 wickets in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final, chasing down 170 with openers Alex Hales (86 not out) and Jos Buttler (80 not out) dominating on a flat Adelaide pitch. Two years later in Providence, India avenged that defeat with a 68-run victory as spinners Kuldeep Yadav (3-19) and Axar Patel (3-28) bowled out England for 103 in 16.4 overs.
India reach the final session before the T20 World Cup final
India had beaten England 4-1 in the five-match T20I series last January, registering a 150-run win at Wankhede.
However, the stakes are much higher in a World Cup semi-final.Both teams go into the match with confidence, although England appear to have more momentum after winning all three of their Super 8 matches against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and New Zealand. Meanwhile, India will be looking to challenge history – as no defending T20 World Cup champion has retained and no host nation has won the title. In fact, no defending champions reached the final in the subsequent edition.
India topped Group A alongside Pakistan and associated teams, winning all four league matches. However, their hitting looked weak on slower pitches against spin. This was evident during the collapse against the United States in Wankhede, where the hosts fell to 77-6 before skipper Suryakumar Yadav rescued them with an unbeaten 84 off 49 balls.
England started their campaign with a narrow four-run win over Nepal at Wankhede, with Sam Curran defending 10 runs in the final over and Will Jacks producing a fine all-round effort.They later lost to the West Indies by 30 runs at the same venue, with Shirvan Rutherford smashing 76 off 42 balls and the Caribbean spinners stifling England’s batting.India’s Super 8 campaign began with a 76-run loss to South Africa in Ahmedabad. They bounced back by thrashing Zimbabwe by 72 runs in Chennai after scoring 256 for four, then beat the West Indies by five wickets at Eden Gardens, powered by Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 97 off 50 balls and Jasprit Bumrah’s double knock.Meanwhile, England started the Super 8 with a 51-run win over Sri Lanka, bowling them out for 95. They followed it up with a two-run win over Pakistan, highlighted by captain Harry Brook’s 100 off 51 balls and Liam Dawson’s 3-24. England qualified for the semi-finals with a four-wicket win over New Zealand.
Samson has been among India’s most consistent batsmen, in sharp contrast to his opening partner Abhishek Sharma, who managed just 80 runs in six matches at an average of 13.33, including three ducks.His fifty against Zimbabwe remains his only significant contribution. The left-hander will be hoping to rediscover his touch at the spot where he once smashed 135 off 54 balls.England also have concerns about the opener. Buttler scored just 62 runs in seven matches at an average of 8.85, while Phil Salt struggled for consistency except for 62 against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. Samson, who has struggled against short-pitched bowling, and an out-of-form Abhishek, may face a stern test from Jofra Archer in the powerplay.However, Archer also found Wankhede ruthless, as he returned figures of 1-42 against Nepal and 1-48 against West Indies.Ishan Kishan was quiet after his winning 77 off 40 balls against Pakistan in Colombo. However, he, along with Suriya, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya – all former Mumbai Indians players – will be aware of Wankhede’s terms. Tilak looked more comfortable after moving from the No.1 position.
3 to No. 6, scoring 44 not out from 16 balls against Zimbabwe and 27 from 15 against West Indies.India’s weakness against spin could be tested again by an England attack that includes Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, Rehan Ahmed and all-rounder Will Jacks. India will face Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel, although Varun has struggled for rhythm – a far cry from last year’s bilateral series against England when he took 14 wickets in five matches at an average of 9.85.
