India and England will renew their rivalry in T20I cricket as the two teams will face off in the 2nd semifinal of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022 at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.
After the Super 12 stage of the tournament, India finished at the top of Group 2 while England were the runner-up of Group 1.
India's journey to the semifinal of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022
India kickstarted their T20 World Cup campaign in style with a thrilling last-ball win over rivals Pakistan in Melbourne. This win was followed by a commanding victory over the Netherlands in the next match in Sydney. India's first and only loss of the tournament came next as the Indian batsmen were tamed by the South African speedsters in Perth. But Rohit Sharma's men bounce back from the defeat with a win over Bangladesh in a rain-affected match at Adelaide. By the time India took on Zimbabwe for their final group game at Melbourne, their passage in the semis was assured. But it wasn't time for any complacency as the Men-in-Blue beat Zimbabwe to top Group 2.
How England reached the semifinal of the ICC T20 World Cup 2022
Unlike India, England did not had to wait for a last-ball result as they brushed aside Afghanistan with ease in their tournament opener. But Jos Buttler and his men got the shock of their lives when Ireland pulled off a stunning win in Melbourne. England were looking to vent out the frustrations of that loss over Australia, but incessant rains forced that clash to be abandoned. With a loss and no result in the previous two games and hosts and defending champions Australia lurking around, England had to beat New Zealand and Sri Lanka in the next two matches to qualify for the semis. England ground out positive results in the last two group games to finish behind New Zealand in Group 1 and became eligible to play in the semis.
India's in-form players
The bulk of scoring for India through the Super 12 stage was done by Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav. Kohli is leading the batting charts of this World Cup with 246 runs to his name at a staggering average of 123.00. Suryakumar has also hit three half-centuries at a strike rate of 193.96.
Left-arm fast bowler Arshdeep Singh has enjoyed a breakthrough World Cup after claiming 10 wickets, the most for India in this tournament.
England's in-form players
England batsmen have struggled with consistency in this World Cup. Captain Jos Buttler and Alex Hales have been the source of most of the runs for the team. Buttler and Hales have hit a fifty each.
It is the pace bowling duo of Mark Wood and Sam Curran that holds a lot of promise for the team. In the super 12 stage, Curran became the first English bowler to claim a five-wicket haul in a T20I match. In total, the all-rounder has picked 10 wickets. Curran has got good support from Wood as the latter with his sheer pace and bounce has claimed 9 scalps.
It has been 8 years and counting since India last reached the final of the ICC T20 World Cup. For England, the wait to reappear in the final of the ICC T20 World Cup has stretched for over a decade. No second chance at the Adelaide Oval to end that waiting period.
Form Guide (last five matches)
India: W-W-L-W-W
England: W-W-L-W-NR
India vs England (Head to Head)
Matches played: 22
India: 12
England: 10
Pitch
The Adelaide track is good for batting and the short square boundaries will tempt the hitters to go big. The pitch also favours spinners, so a good contest awaits between bat and ball.
Weather conditions
It will be partly cloudy in Adelaide on Thursday and we will get a full game with no chances of rain. The temperatures will hover between 22° C to 13° C.
Possible XIs
India possible XI
KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik/Rishabh Pant (wk), Axar Patel/Yuzvendra Chahal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh
England possible XI
Jos Buttler (c and wk), Alex Hales, Phil Salt, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood
Top Fantasy Pick suggestions
Batters: Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Alex Hales
Wicketkeeper: Jos Buttler
All-rounders: Hardik Pandya, Ben Stokes, Sam Curran
Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Mark Wood, Adil Rashid
Betting Odds (bet365)
India: 1.80
England: 2.00
Where to watch
The match begins at 1:30 PM IST. In India, the match will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network. Online viewers can follow the live action via Disney+Hotstar.
(Edited by : Prakhar Sachdeo)
