India have adapted better in the ongoing T20 World Cup compared to England, who have been shaky in quite a few of their previous matches. But there are chinks in India’s armoury as well, especially in their batting if the rival quicks get it right.
At the Adelaide Oval though, conditions are expected to suit India more. But all said and done, it’s a win-or-bust semi-final clash, where dealing with pressure will have a bigger say than the current form and overall quality of the teams concerned.
The duels within the actual battle could thus be the determining factor of Thursday’s semi-final. The Telegraph takes a look at the matchups.
Rohit/Rahul vs Wood
The Adelaide pitch is usually a little more batsmen-friendly, but captain Rohit Sharma’s inability to get bigger scores is a concern for India. The task will not be getting any easier for Rohit against pacer Mark Wood, who has been one of England’s standout bowlers in this World Cup with his extra pace and the awkward bounce he can generate.
But along with batsman Dawid Malan (groin niggle), Wood (stiffness in upper legs) too is racing to be fit and under the observation of England’s medical team. It will be a loss for England if Wood, in particular, fails to be match-fit. But that doesn’t mean the India openers’ job gets easier. England also have the option of bringing in left-arm seamer David Willey, who can move the ball into the batsmen and is a handy lower-order batter as well. KL Rahul’s back-to-back fifties do bode well for him and his team. But England’s bowling attack — whether Wood plays or not — is a lot sharper compared to that of Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
Arshdeep Singh and (right) Mark Wood during team practice in Adelaide on Wednesday. There are injury concerns over Wood for Thursday’s game. (Getty Images & Twitter)
Kohli/Surya vs Rashid
With five centuries and three fifties across all formats in Adelaide, there seems to be a special bond between Virat Kohli and the Adelaide Oval surface. For sure India would want their former captain to come up with yet another Adelaide special on Thursday. Suryakumar Yadav growing in strength and looking close to unstoppable is another massive plus point for India. But leg-spinner Adil Rashid can counter both Kohli and Surya’s free-scoring ways. Rashid may not be a super talented spinner, but he has got this ability to slip one through which can earn his team a crucial breakthrough. Besides, Rashid has dismissed Kohli in white-ball cricket on quite a few occasions in the past.
Arshdeep vs Buttler
Arshdeep Singh’s ability to move the ball both ways has had most batsmen in trouble in this World Cup. England batters are no experts when tackling swing. So if the Indian left-arm quick gets his line right along with some movement, English openers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales could have a tough time in the middle.
Arshdeep, too, needs to be careful as the margin of error against Buttler will be very little. Everyone knows how devastating the England captain can be if he gets into rhythm.
TALKING POINTS
That 1st over
Four, LBW decision overturned, wicket. That’s how the first three balls of the game went after New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat. The first ball saw Finn Allen belting Shaheen Shah Afridi past mid-on for a four. The next was also a full one shaping back a bit and striking Allen’s pads. Umpire Marais Erasmus raised the dreaded finger, but Finn reviewed it and replays showed a clear inside edge.
Shaheen pitched it up once again but without movement. That pinned Allen on his front pad and this time, he was gone. No wonder it was an eventful start to the first semi-final of this T20 World Cup, but just the kind of start Pakistan needed.
Phillips fixed
Even though Pakistan had done well to remove Devon Conway, the other New Zealand opener, cheaply, they could have been in trouble had Glenn Phillips clicked. But left-arm spinner Mohammad Nawaz ensured the explosive Phillips didn’t do much damage.
Nawaz took the pace off the last ball of the eighth over, which forced a false shot from Phillips as he hit it straight back to the bowler. Not one six was conceded by Shaheen, Haris Rauf and Naseem Shah in the last five overs of New Zealand’s innings, which also was another determining factor.
Opening stand
Conway dropped the struggling Babar Azam off the first ball he faced. The Pakistan captain took full advantage of that reprieve and with Mohammad Rizwan too back at his sharpest best, the openers forged 105 halfway into the 13th over. That pretty much earned Pakistan their ticket to the final.
