Two teams with power-packed batting line-ups – India and England – will clash in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022, to be played on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval.
Both teams are coming off with some good form behind their back. England, after a shock defeat to Ireland, bounced back with wins over New Zealand and Sri Lanka to reach the semis, pipping Australia on the basis of better NRR. India have been largely dominating over the likes of Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, and Netherlands and faced two tight games vs Pakistan and South Africa, eventually toping their group.
England had bowed out in the semi-final of 2021 T20 WC in the UAE. They have a better side this time and are a team filled with match-winners.
Here are the 3 main threats in the England team which India need to be wary of:
Jos Buttler
Jos Buttler is yet to unlock the beast mode he’d been on in the year before the start of the T20 World Cup 2022. He’s still England’s leading run-scorer in the group stage, but not really with any great deal of runs: 125 runs in 5 innings at a strike rate of 131 with one half-century, though that fifty – 73 off 47 – came in a crucial must-win encounter vs New Zealand.
England rely on Buttler to bat for the most part of the innings, for their middle and lower-middle order hasn’t really stepped up yet; only Buttler and Alex Hales have scored over 100 runs in the tournament so far.
Sam Curran
England’s star man so far in the tournament has been Sam Curran. Previously only known for his new ball swing, Curran the death bowler has been quite a revelation in this tournament. He’s taken 10 wickets in 5 matches – most by an England bowler so far – and 7 of which have come in the death overs; Curran has conceded just one boundary in 40 balls in the death overs and has maintained an incredible economy of 4.80 ER in the death.
Mark Wood
Mark Wood has been the fastest bowler in the tournament, even clocking 154 KPH. Wood’s pace, on the spicy Australian pitches, has hurried even the best of batters of the back foot.
The fast bowler has snapped 9 wickets at a terrific average of 12. England may save an over or two of Wood’s specifically for Hardik Pandya, who has painfully suffered against short and hard lengths deliveries in this tournament.
The battle of India’s lower middle-order of Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, and Pant’/Karthik against England’s Curran and Wood could perhaps be the defining battle in this big semi-final.
