Rain threat looms as England India get ready to clash in second semi final

It is a rematch of the previous T20 World Cup semi-final as India and England get set to face off in Guyana for the second semi-final. It was a one-sided humiliation last time as England managed to run through India and win by 10 wickets. Jos Buttler and Alex Hales showed no mercy to a Jasprit Bumrah-less Indian bowling line-up and chased down a target of around 170 in nearly 16 overs.

England, after a scratchy start to their campaign, are in their groove now, and with the form Buttler’s men are in, they should feel confident of their chances of defending their title. They were on the verge of elimination in the group stages and needed assistance from Australia. They managed to qualify for the next round and never looked back since. Although they did suffer a defeat against South Africa in the super-eights, the performances have been consistently improving across departments.

Buttler hasn’t been at his absolute best and has not shown what he truly is capable of yet in this World Cup, but his brutal 83 from 28 balls was evidence of the threat he poses to the Indian bowling line-up as if they do not have a worse memory of him from the previous edition. The England skippers is a mood player. On his bad days he is prone to giving away his wicket but when on song, the right-handed batter is capable of achieving things very few batters can. 

Adil Rashid was England’s key bowler in the 2022 T20 World Cup and delivered impactful performances in both the semi-final and the final against India and Pakistan respectively with a combined figure of 3 for 42 in eight overs. He found his form a touch late in the group stage, but has grown into the tournament with immaculate control with his flight, pace, and variation. 

The Indian camp will be pleased to see their captain Rohit Sharma find runs after a slow start to the tournament, as he took apart a quality Australian pace attack and scored 92 runs at a blistering strike rate. However, his opening partner Virat Kohli hasn’t been able to find the flow with his bat yet and perhaps the biggest stage calls for it. 

With the ball, India has arguably been the best side. Jasprit Bumrah has looked to give nothing away while Arshdeep Singh has been providing early breakthroughs consistently. In spin department, Axar Patel has proven to be the X-factor with his quick darts and the inclusion of Kuldeep Yadav in the super-eights has only worked in favor of India’s cause.

The second semi-final between the two heavyweights England and India will be hosted by Guyana, which has been a tricky venue for run-scoring so far in the tournament. The average run rate has been 6.20 and an average of 14.67, however, these numbers are partially skewed by two heavy defeats endured by Uganda. This though, is the same venue where Afghanistan bowled New Zealand out for 75. 

Unlike the first semi-final in Trinidad, no receive day is scheduled for this match. There is a significant probability of heavy showers during the match and in case of a washout, India will qualify for the finals after topping their group in the Super Eight.