While the Men in Blue have ticked over like a well-oiled machine either side of the Protean mauling, their catching has been abysmal, meaning they must bring their ‘A’ game in the semi-final against England to keep their title defence alive on Thursday
India players practise some catching drills at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. Pic/Ashish Raje
Two down, two to go. That’s what India’s vast legion of supporters must be thinking, ahead of Thursday’s second semi-final of the T20 World Cup against England. The team itself will entertain no such thoughts, their focus trained entirely on the immediate task which is to get the better of Harry Brook’s side.
It’s the third edition in a row where the two sides are locking horns at this stage of the competition. England surged to a 10-wicket victory in Adelaide in November 2022 on their way to the title, India returned the compliment with a 68-run romp in Providence in June 2024. There is little the teams don’t know about each other, though they haven’t faced off since January last year.
India’s Abhishek Sharma drops a catch against the West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday
At this stage, history counts for little. It’s all about current form, managing and embracing pressure, keeping emotions in check and not letting the occasion take over. India have had first-hand experience in the last week alone of must-win encounters. Having played themselves into a corner following their Super Eight opener loss to South Africa, they came surging through with convincing wins against Zimbabwe and West Indies. England, by contrast, were untroubled in the corresponding round in Sri Lanka, when they breezed past New Zealand, Pakistan and the hosts.
England will need to make a mental shift from challenging batting tracks in the Emerald Isle to a truer surface at the Wankhede Stadium. Brook and the management group will be hoping that’s the trigger Jos Buttler needs to rediscover form. The former captain has mustered a mere 62 runs in seven innings but England have entertained no designs of replacing him simply because of his value that extends beyond tangible numbers. Buttler will be itching to repay the faith; what better occasion than the semi-final to do so?
India have ticked over like a well-oiled machine either side of the Protean mauling, but they haven’t been anywhere close to the perfect game. Their catching, especially, has been abysmal, an extension of their recent woes across formats; England won’t be as accommodating as some of the other outfits, so India must bring their ‘A’ game if they are to keep their title defence alive.
It was at the Wankhede, 25 days back, that Suryakumar Yadav masterminded a glorious fightback against United States with a memorable unbeaten 84. The captain hasn’t had a defining innings since; maybe, just maybe, he too has been waiting for a return to his home ground.
17-12
India’s win-loss record against England across 29 T20Is
71.7 percent
India’s catching efficiency at the ongoing T20 World Cup — the worst among the Super Eight teams
13
No. of catches dropped by India at this T20 World Cup — the most for any team
3
This is the third time in a row India face England in the semis of the T20 World Cup — England won in 2022, while India won in 2024
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