Despite no longer performing at their first-class inside the 2024 T20 World Cup, England have reached another semi-final. The defending champions will face India at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday, June 27.
England can draw self assurance from their preceding matches at this stage, where Buttler and Alex Hales led them to a 10-wicket victory over India in 2022 earlier winning the final towards Pakistan.
However, England are aware of India’s strength. Rohit Sharma and his team are unbeaten in this year’s tournament, posing the toughest challenge for the Englishmen so far.
Here are the 3 key strategies for England to overcome India in the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal:
#1 England should consider adding an extra batter or spinner in place of Chris Jordan
Chris Jordan has had his moments in this T20 World Cup and for England, but he has never been the most reliable bowler. His reliance on a yorker-heavy strategy at the death, combined with inconsistency, makes him a risky choice in crucial games.
Despite Jordan’s contributions this tournament, England might need to strengthen their batting for the spin-friendly conditions in Guyana. Bringing in Will Jacks or Ben Duckett could be beneficial, especially in a rain-affected match.
Alternatively, England could replace Jordan with Tom Hartley or Mark Wood. Hartley offers valuable left-arm spin, while Wood, despite his recent form, provides extra pace and an X-factor against players like Shivam Dube that Jordan lacks.
#2 Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya need to be targeted aggressively
Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav are extremely challenging to score against, so England should avoid taking unnecessary risks and losing wickets on what is expected to be a moderately difficult batting pitch.
However, Jos Buttler and his team should focus on putting Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya under pressure. Arshdeep has struggled with his accuracy at times, and Hardik was heavily targeted by Australia in their last match. As the third pacer, Hardik conceding runs could significantly disrupt India’s bowling strategy.
#3 Moeen Ali should be promoted up the batting order to break the sequence of right-handers
If England opt not to include Ben Duckett, their top four will consist of four right-handers, none of whom are adept at facing left-arm spinners. With India boasting two such spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, promoting Moeen Ali to counter them would be a simple strategy.
Sam Curran is another left-hander who could be promoted, but he isn’t as proficient against spin. Moeen, with his greater experience and versatility, could be placed in the top four to compel Rohit to adjust his strategy.
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