T20 World Cup: India vs England – Preview, where to watch, team news and prediction
The lowdown on India vs England at the T20 World Cup
India coach Morne Morkel has backed struggling opener Abhishek Sharma to regain top form against a “fearless” England team in tomorrow’s T20 World Cup semi-final.
Sharma is the number one ranked T20 player but has struggled in this tournament, accumulating just 80 runs in six matches, including three ducks. He appears to be struggling under the weight of expectation but Morkel is confident class with prevail, starting against England in Mumbai.
The omens are good as the last time the 25-year-old faced England at the Wankhede Stadium, just over a year ago, he smashed 135 off just 54 balls.
“Abhishek, his way of playing is one or two shots that can find him that rhythm, that can give him that confidence back and that for me is a pleasing sign,” said Morkel.
“It’s a fresh page for him tomorrow, opportunity to go and do well, scored a hundred here against England not so long ago, so for him it’s just tapping into those little videos and looking at his feel-good moments and building a blueprint and knowing he’s starting on zero tomorrow, it’s a new opportunity for him and enough for him to make a play.”
Another man tipped by Morkel to have a big say in proceedings is Varun Chakravarthy. Chakravarthy struggled to make an impact in the Super Eight, taking just three wickets for 122 runs with an economy rate of 10.17.
Morkel has told the spinner to ignore economy rates and focus on taking wickets.
“I keep telling Varun that with the skill and variation he has got, he has got the ability to take a wicket almost every ball,” he said. “If he goes for a boundary and the ball is not executed as well as possible, for him it’s just about moving on to the next one and committing to the next ball. He is a highly skilled guy who I find hard to pick.
“For Varun, it’s just about getting that confidence with the ball and getting his speeds, his length, and his control right, and trying not to overthink it. To his credit, he wants to be a big-match performer for the team, so he puts a little bit of pressure on himself. But he is a match-winner for us.”
England have yet to hit top gear over recent weeks but Morkel remains wary of a side that have enough power hitters to trouble India.
He said: “There’s a lot of quality in their side. They bat very long and deep, which makes them very dangerous. The way they approach a T20 game is fearless, and they try to take the game on. That will also give you opportunities. The side that reads the conditions quickest, I reckon, will come out on top.”
England captain Harry Brook knows his team are the underdogs and can play without the pressure of a home crowd.
The Yorkshireman said: “We’re obviously going into the game very confident. We’re playing some good cricket. We haven’t quite played that perfect performance and I feel like it’s just around the corner. Hopefully it’s tomorrow night and we go out there, play with freedom and be brave.
“All it takes is one of the top seven to get a decent score or one of our bowlers to have an amazing day. So far it’s mainly been team performances, but I feel like there’s a big individual performance to come soon.”
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India vs England team news
Sharma will be given another chance to get back on track so it will be the same team that beat the West Indies in their crucial final Super Eight clash on Sunday.
England will revert back to the side that has played in most of the games at this tournament. That means Rehan Ahmed’s brilliant performance against New Zealand last time out won’t be enough to keep him in the XI. Jamie Overton will step back in.
India vs England predicted line ups
India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Harry Brook (c), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Jamie Overton, Liam Dawson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid
How to watch India vs England: TV channel, live online stream
India vs England starts at 13:30 GMT on Thursday. The T20 World Cup is live in the UK on Sky Sports, with streaming on a vast variety of devices and on the move via the Sky Go app.
For coverage elsewhere in the world, click here for details of your local rights holder.
India vs England: T20 World Cup prediction
India have the pressure of a nation weighing them down and their performances have been patchy.
England have not been great either but they can approach this game with a fearlessness that makes them dangerous.
We fancy Brook and Co to edge through to the final.