Expecting a rank turner of a wicket in Australia is like yearning for a green top at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai or the Green Park in Kanpur.

Spin, obviously, hasn’t really been able to dominate in the ongoing T20 World Cup. But at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) and the Adelaide Oval — venues for the semi-finals — spinners did try and make their presence felt to an extent.

Sydney, though, has had a tradition of being a little more supportive to spin. But the Adelaide Oval pitch seemed a little two-paced so far in this World Cup as scoring at will against the spinners didn’t look to be too easy.

The spin bowling stocks of both India and England thus could play a critical part as they go into Thursday’s semi-final clash in Adelaide, believes former English leftarm spinner Monty Panesar.

“England like pace on the ball, while the Indians can generate pace on the slow pitches as they did at the SCG against The Netherlands. The start (Jos) Buttler and (Alex) Hales gives will be very important for England, but overall, India appear to be the favourites as the Adelaide pitch may suit them more,” Panesar, one of the few English spinners to have tasted success on Indian soil, told The Telegraph.

Besides, England are yet to play in Adelaide while India have had an experience of the conditions there, beating Bangladesh narrowly by five runs (DLS method).

India’s spinners have played more of a supporting role in this World Cup, but Panesar banks on senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin’s “experience and intelligence”, which could play a key role on Thursday. Even though Yuzvendra Chahal has been on the bench so far in the competition, playing the leg-spinner in place of the struggling Axar Patel could benefit India, feels Panesar.

“It would be a better option for India to bring in Chahal in place of Axar. The left-armer isn’t getting enough turn and is not using his fingers much. Also, I do believe wrist-spin may play a part in the game.

“Ashwin, with his experience and intelligence, can manage the situation and that could allow Chahal to be a bit more attacking,” Panesar pointed out.

For England, Panesar feels leg-spinner Adil Rashid, who’s one of their white-ball specialists, will be “the main guy”. Bowl it full and slow to KL Rahul, Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav: that’s Panesar’s advice to Rashid.

“He looks to take wickets. He has looked to bowl a lot slower in this World Cup. I would like him to bowl full and make Rahul play on the front foot, which is one way to make him err and get him out.

“Against Surya, look to bowl at the stumps and try and get him bowled or LBW. The straight boundaries at the Adelaide Oval are long.

“So Rashid should be backing himself to not let the Indian batters clear the 80- metre boundary,” Panesar explained.