Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
After a 6-0 triumph against Australia, the world was looking pretty rosy for the hosts. Now, all of a sudden, they have to prove some doubters wrong.
The 1st T20I, the opening game of what promises to be an exciting tour, dished up some great cricket, especially by the men in blue. Not only that, it has served up some intriguing questions that shapes the 2nd T20I beautifully.
For England, the honeymoon period that was the Australia series is over. This is the real deal, and they were caught a little off guard in Manchester, emphatically coming to terms with the contrast in class from their last series to this one. Again, Jos Buttler was superb at the top, but the first T20I opened up big discussions over their ability to play quality spin. Cardiff represents an opportunity to get back on track.
India were simply brilliant in the first T20I. After a rocky start thanks to England’s in form openers, India fired back, thanks mostly to the Yadav’s, especially Kuldeep. He had the ball on a string, tormenting the English with beautiful variation and dip that has sent a few little shivers among England’s supporters. Then, it was the KL Rahul show, and with India boasting so many quality players, it would be dangerous for England to focus on only a few.
A good battle awaits.
Key to an England win
Strategically, England were off the mark in Manchester. Joe Root, generally an accumulator, was batting down at number six, and they were quite unsure of who to target and how to go about the innings.
The experience of the first T20I can hold them in good stead.
India will again enter the game with five main bowlers, with Suresh Raina the sixth bowler option. Raina wasn’t needed with the ball the other day, and there is no doubt that a key avenue to victory for England is to force Virat Kohli into having to use him. Better rotation of the strike against the spinners, which comes from actually picking the bowling, will ensure they have enough time and wickets in hand to target other bowlers.
Of course, Jos Buttler is key once again, and needs more support from his teammates. Also, can England’s bowlers find more penetration against India’s strong batting line up?
Key to an India win
Skipper Virat Kohli has expressed his desire to try win every game they play. Under his leadership, expect India to be on their game again. They will not let up at all.
India did what they did to England in the last game even with Bhuvneshwar Kumar having an off day. A bowler of his quality can be expected to bounce back well, which bodes danger for England, given the incredible form of Kuldeep and Umesh Yadav. In what is expected to be hot and dry conditions, the ball will turn, and England will have to find a way to combat the wristspin twins, especially Kuldeep, who was unstoppable in the series opener.
Also, if England do manage better with the bat, they’ll also need to overcome India’s superb batting line up. If at least two of their top four players contribute significantly, it will set things up perfectly for a big total.
Possible teams
For England, it would make more sense to have Root further up the order. In terms of personnel, expect them to stick with the same XI, despite disappointing performances from a few players.
England possible XI: 1. Jason Roy, 2. Jos Buttler (wk), 3. Alex Hales, 4. Joe Root, 5. Eoin Morgan (c), 6. Jonny Bairstow, 7. Moeen Ali, 8. David Willey, 9. Liam Plunkett, 10. Chris Jordan, 11. Adil Rashid
Expect India to also keep the same XI. At their best, they are a joy to watch.
India possible XI: 1. Shikhar Dhawan, 2. Rohit Sharma, 3. KL Rahul, 4. Virat Kohli (c), 5. Suresh Raina, 6. MS Dhoni (wk), 7. Hardik Pandya, 8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9. Umesh Yadav, 10. Kuldeep Yadav, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal
Stats and Facts
- England have never lost a T20I in Cardiff (four matches).
- Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Kuldeep Yadav are the last two bowlers to take a five-wicket haul in T20Is (both 5/24).
- Virat Kohli became the quickest to 2,000 T20Is runs in Manchester.
- KL Rahul has passed 50 six times in T20I cricket. On two occasions he has converted to a century.
- Jos Buttler has hit a 50+ score in seven of his last eight T20 innings. When he didn’t score a fifty, he still made a very respectable 39.
Prediction
Expect Cardiff to be a sea of blue, just like Manchester was. With India playing such amazing cricket, I will back them to get the job done here and take the series 2-0.
