Clash of equals as T20I series kicks off at Old Trafford
Overview
England v IndiaOld Trafford, Manchester
1st T20I
Tuesday 3 July, 16:30 GMT, 17:30 local
When England host India for the first Twenty20 International of their three-match series on Tuesday at Old Trafford, it will be a clash between two outstanding 20-over teams. India are ranked No.2, and England are No.4, and while India have warmed up nicely for the series with two convincing wins over Ireland, England are at home and in rollicking form. No quarters will be given and none will be asked for.
If India are coming off a strong showing against Ireland, England are, if anything, on an even bigger roll. Give them coloured clothes and a white ball, and the eyes of the batsmen light up. The reversal against Scotland in a one-off one-day international was a scarring one, but they have since had a blast against Australia, steamrolling the visitors 5-0 in the ODIs and then winning the lone T20I.
What, really, can oppositions do if the pack of Jason Roy, Jonny Bairstow, Alex Hales, Jos Buttler and Eoin Morgan hit a purple patch at the same time and then stay there? The Australians found out over the past few days, and now it could be India’s turn.
Not to forget the England bowling. On pitches where the England batsmen made merry, Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid bowled like a dream. Both of them picked up 12 wickets apiece in the ODIs, at a combined economy of just over five an over, and Rashid did well in the T20I too. Liam Plunkett was also among the wickets, while David Willey and Mark Wood did their jobs well.
It mustn’t be forgotten, however, that Australia were without their best batsmen – Steve Smith and David Warner, and best pace bowlers – Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins, as well as premier all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.
With India, it’s pretty much the full-strength team, bar one notable exception: Jasprit Bumrah, the No.1 bowler in ODI cricket and a master of death bowling, is out with a fractured thumb. Washington Sundar, the off-spinning all-rounder, is also out with an ankle injury but that might not be as big a blow for India, because he isn’t a first-team regular, but Bumrah’s absence might hurt India.
In their place, India have called up the uncapped Deepak Chahar and Krunal Pandya. One wonders if either of them will get a chance, though, because India have pace options in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and the one-T20I-old Siddarth Kaul, plus all-rounder Hardik Pandya, and outstanding limited-overs spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Not to forget the batting. Virat Kohli didn’t really get going in the T20Is against Ireland, but Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma did brilliantly in the first game, and KL Rahul and Suresh Raina did the same in the second – all of them hit big half-centuries in quick time. And with the ball, 13 wickets in two T20Is is a pretty fantastic achievement – that’s what Kuldeep (7/37) and Chahal (6/59) did between them in Ireland.
There isn’t much to choose between the two sides, that’s for sure. Home advantage might give England an edge, but the stands are likely to be pretty full of Indians. It will be fun for sure, especially if you like big hitting and crafty spin bowling.
Key players
**Jos Buttler (England):**Buttler has been in the form of his life, across formats. It’s difficult for a middle-order batsman to do much when the men before you include some of the best in the business, but Buttler has got his chances and he has made the most of them. The Indians know him well, and know what a huge threat he can be.
**Kuldeep Yadav (India):**The left-arm wrist-spinner just has that happy knack of picking up wickets. Keeping things tight is key in T20s, and Kuldeep does that too, but his real job is to strike as often as he can – that helps keep the scoring down too, doesn’t it?
Conditions
It’s likely to be the perfect day for cricket in Manchester, with forecasts suggesting a sunny day and, in the evening, a clear sky with comfortable temperatures. No T20Is have been played at Old Trafford since September 2016, but in the one-day international between England and Australia last month, run-scoring wasn’t too easy. Australia were rolled over for 205, and it took till the penultimate over for England to cross the target, and that too after Buttler played an outstanding innings.
Squads
**England:**Eoin Morgan (c), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, David Willey
**India:**Virat Kohli (c), Yuzvendra Chahal, Deepak Chahar, Shikhar Dhawan, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Siddarth Kaul, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, KL Rahul, Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Umesh Yadav