India and England face off in the 4th T20I to be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Thursday, March 18. India lost the last game and now find themselves in a must-win situation in the final two games if they are to win the series. Virat Kohli and the team management are looking for answers as they are still searching for their perfect playing XI. The resources have just not stood up to the expectations in the three games so far. More about the 4th T20I preview in detail below.
Team India’s Problem of Plenty
India find themselves in a problem of plenty in their quest to figure out the perfect playing XI keeping in mind the World T20. The playing XI selected for the third T20I was a perfect example of India’s confused school of thought. It had three wicketkeeper-batsman, potentially three players who could bat at number four as well as five. In Hardik Pandya, India had their designated all-rounder and finisher who failed to play even one of those roles perfectly.
The bowling line-up had two bowlers who could swing the ball and two spinners of different qualities. The pace factor in the bowling attack was missing. Therefore, heading into the fourth game, in just a day’s turnaround. The Indian management and skipper Virat Kohli would need to address all these questions. The Indian skipper hailed the English bowlers while adding that they are yet to figure out which other all-rounder can be featured into the XI. Meanwhile, the toss has been a deciding factor in the first three games. The side chasing has won all three games and twice it has been England.
Also Read: Top 5 Knocks Of Virat Kohli In T20Is
England, on the other hand, seems to have found the right combination, unlike their opponents. Their plan to attack with pace so far has paid dividends. The trio of Jofra Archer, Mark Wood and Chris Jordan.
Jos Butter returned back to form in the last game and Jason Roy barring the third game has scored in his 40s. Jonny Bairstow too has been useful with the bat.
The England skipper hailed Buttler for the way he batted saying that is a world-class player and that his side is lucky to have him. He competes with the best in the world when it comes to opening the batting. Thus the two teams are in totally different mindsets at the moment, one who has all the answers and the other is searching for all the answers.
Also Read: India’s Predicted Playing XI For 4th T20I vs England
Head to Head
Overall- 17 matches
England won- 9
India won- 8
Pitch & Weather Conditions For 4th T20I
The red soil had a lot more pace bounce and carry than the pitch on which the second game was played which was a lot slower. With the toss playing a crucial role and dew playing its part, the team batting second will certainly have an advantage as the ball skids on later on which makes scoring runs easy.
Team News For 4th T20I
England would not look to change the playing XI heading into the fourth game. Mark Wood who missed the third game due to an injury is back and the side seems to be complete with his return.
India, on the other hand, will look to have specific players for specific roles. KL Rahul’s third straight failure might seem him miss the last two games. Shikhar Dhawan with his experience might return and open alongside Rohit Sharma. Suryakumar Yadav who did not bat in his debut game might return either for Ishan Kishan of Shreyas Iyer. It will be interesting to see what change does India make to their bowling line-up.
Squads
India
Virat Kohli (Captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), KL Rahul, Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, Varun Chakravarthy, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Rahul Tewatia, T Natarajan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Shardul Thakur, Rahul Chahar
England
Eoin Morgan (captain), Joss Buttler, Jason Roy, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Chris Jordan, Mark Wood, Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Sam Billings, Jonny Bairstow, Jofra Archer
Also Read: India vs England 2021: 4th T20I- Fantasy Tips, Predicted XI, Top Fantasy Picks
