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IND vs ENG 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Sarthak Karkhanis
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IND vs ENG 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

IND vs ENG 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs ENG 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | India vs England 2nd T20 Key Players | Motera Pitch Report

After the crushing defeat in the first T20I, India will be aiming to bounce back just little less than 48 hours later in Ahmedabad as they look to equalise the 5-match series. 

India’s batting was below-par in the first T20I but considering their standards and ability, the opening match can be considered as an aberration. Rohit Sharma will be rested for this match as well and it will be interesting to see whether the men in blue opt for any changes in the batting line-up, which is unlikely to be the case. 

Shreyas Iyer mentioned in the post-match press conference that the team will not alter its plans of aggressive batting because of this defeat, after Kohli promised a more aggressive approach on the eve of the series.

On the other hand, England’s performance was a justification of why they are considered as the best side in the format. The Eoin Morgan-led side executed their plans to utmost perfection against most Indian batsmen and their tactical approach was perhaps the main reason for their victory. After their excellent bowling performance, all four of their batsmen contributed, as they chased the target of 125 with ease.

IND vs ENG 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs ENG 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | India vs England 2nd T20 Key Players | Motera Pitch Report
IND vs ENG 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction: Can Kohli hit form?

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

India:

  • Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck in two consecutive matches for the first time in his international career. He will be aiming to come back strongly in the 2nd T20I. 
  • Rishabh Pant batted at number 4 in the previous T20I and grabbed everyone’s eyeballs with a reverse flick over slips against Jofra Archer. With the kind of form he is in and the audacious shots that the southpaw is executing, a match-winning knock in the upcoming matches is around the corner. 
  • Shreyas Iyer was India’s lone warrior in the first match and his 48-ball 67 salvaged some pride for India in the first match. There were calls before the match to include Suryakumar Yadav ahead of him but with this performance, Iyer has cemented his place for atleast 2 more games.
  • Yuzvendra Chahal was expensive in the first T20I (1/44). India will be hoping his class shines through as he looks to bounce back here. He has the most wickets in IND-ENG T20Is (10 in 7 games, avg. 22.10, econ. 7.89).

England:

  • Jason Roy looked in fine touch, which is a welcome change for England after a lean summer in white-ball cricket. Can he build on his 32-ball 49?
  • Dawid Malan’s consistency in T20I cricket is magnificent. In 20 T20Is, he has struck 10 50+ scores at an overall average of 54.93.
  • Jonny Bairstow played as if it was a different sport altogether. After an awful Test series, he slammed 26* off 17 balls and looked quite dangerous.
  • Jofra Archer’s match-winning performance of 3-23, dismantled the Indian batting. If he produces more of the same, England will be hard to beat.
  • Mark Wood took a solitary wicket but his consistency in line and hard-length bowling was a crucial part of England’s victory.

Stats and Facts

  • Virat Kohli needs 72 runs more to become the first batsman to complete 3000 runs in T20Is. 
  • England have never won two matches in a bilateral T20I series against India.
  • England have won their last five away T20I series.

Possible Playing 11

Kohli said that Rohit Sharma will be rested for the early part of the series, which suggests that Dhawan will play this game.

India: 1. Shikhar Dhawan, 2. KL Rahul, 3. Virat Kohli (c), 4. Rishabh Pant (wk), 5. Shreyas Iyer, 6. Hardik Pandya, 7. Shardul Thakur, 8. Washington Sundar/Navdeep Saini, 9. Axar Patel, 10. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11. Yuzvendra Chahal

England could look to persist with the same team that won the first T20I.

England: 1. Jason Roy, 2. Jos Buttler (wk), 3. Dawid Malan, 4. Jonny Bairstow, 5. Ben Stokes, 6. Eoin Morgan (c), 7. Sam Curran/Moeen Ali, 8. Jofra Archer, 9. Chris Jordan, 10. Adil Rashid, 11. Mark Wood

Motera Ahmedabad Pitch Report and Weather

According to reports, this match could be played on a different pitch to that of the first T20I. The spinners were able to take wickets in the first match, but England’s pace and bounce was telling.

The pitch was still better for batting than India’s score and England’s chase proved it. The dew will be a major factor and the team winning the toss will be looking to bowl first.

Also read: Does Australia know its Test cricket strategy?

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

IND vs ENG 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs ENG 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | India vs England 2nd T20 Key Players | Motera Pitch Report
IND vs ENG 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

IND vs ENG 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs ENG 2nd T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | India vs England 2nd T20 Key Players | Motera Pitch Report
IND vs ENG 2nd T20I Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Although the result in the first match depicts a completely different story, the gulf between the two sides isnt as big as England’s victory suggested. India are a better team than the performance they showed yesterday and a victory on Sunday won’t come as a surprise.

Written by Sarthak Karkhanis. Follow Sarthak on Twitter today.

WI vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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WI vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

WI vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Key Players | Antigua Pitch Report

The first ODI was representative of the Sri Lanka story in ODIs in recent years. After a good period of play, they collapsed badly, and then lost the game with barely a whimper.

After the controversial dismissal of Danushka Gunathilaka, Sri Lanka were never in the game. West Indies, on the other hand, were on song, and led by the prolific Shai Hope, were never in any discomfort.

Now, the series is on the line, and Sri Lanka will want a better performance. The absence of Angelo Mathews due to family reasons is a blow, which puts onus on the top order to set a good platform, that is this time built on by the middle order.

Also read: India vs England 1st T20I Preview + Dream11 Prediction

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

  • Only Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have scored more ODI runs than Shai Hope since 2018. In this period, Hope has scored 3,212 runs at an average of 62.98.
  • Evin Lewis made two quick starts in the T20Is, which he followed with a half-century in the first ODI (65). He has a fifty and century in three ODIs vs Sri Lanka (240 runs, avg. 80).
  • Darren Bravo has the second-most runs for West Indies vs Sri Lanka, behind Shai Hope. Bravo, who scored a decent 37* in the first ODI, has 386 runs vs SL at 35.09.
  • Jason Holder bowled with consistency in the first ODI, finishing with impressive figures of 2/39. He has 16 wickets to his name in 10 ODIs vs Sri Lanka.
  • Alzarri Joseph has 11 wickets in four ODIs vs Sri Lanka. He will be key in dislodging Sri Lanka’s important opening partnership.

Sri Lanka:

  • Dimuth Karunaratne has scored two half-centuries in five ODIs vs West Indies. Also, he has a solid batting record as ODI captain: 15 inns, 545 runs, avg. 38.92, SR 77.30.
  • Danushka Gunathilaka was mighty unlucky in his dismissal in the first ODI. He looked good during his 61-ball 55.
  • The experience of Dinesh Chandimal will be key for Sri Lanka. He failed in the first ODI, which hurt the Lions.
  • Ashen Bandara has scored 44* and 50 in his last two innings on this tour (third T20I and first ODI).
  • The Windies batsmen made a conscious effort to see out Wanindu Hasaranga after his dream T20I series (0/26 off 10 overs). He took 3/12, 3/17 and 2/13 in the T20Is.
  • Dushmantha Chameera was Sri Lanka’s only wicket-taker in the first ODI.

Stats and Facts

  • West Indies have not won consecutive ODIs against top-10 opposition at home since beating Bangladesh 3-0 in 2014.
  • West Indies’ win in the first ODI broke a losing streak of six.
  • Wanindu Hasaranga bowled 40 dot balls out of his 60 in the opening ODI.

Possible Playing 11

West Indies: 1. Shai Hope (wk), 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Darren Bravo, 4. Jason Mohammed, 5. Nicholas Pooran, 6. Kieron Pollard (c), 7. Jason Holder, 8. Romario Shepherd, 9. Fabian Allen, 10. Akeal Hosein, 11. Alzarri Joseph

Sri Lanka: 1. Dimuth Karunaratne (c), 2. Danushka Gunathilaka, 3. Pathum Nissanka, 4. Dinesh Chandimal (wk), 5. Ashen Bandara, 6. Kamindu Mendis, 7. Thisara Perera, 8. Wanindu Hasaranga, 9. Lakshan Sandakan, 10. Dushmantha Chameera, 11. Nuwan Pradeep

Viv Richards Stadium North Sound Antigua Pitch Report and Weather

Given that a match has been played on the square, the second ODI pitch may be on the slower side. If you bat well, though, runs are on offer.

Patchy rain is forecast for the morning, but should clear for the match.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

WI vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Key Players | Antigua Pitch Report
WI vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

WI vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Sri Lanka 2nd ODI Key Players | Antigua Pitch Report
WI vs SL 2nd ODI Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

The absence of Angelo Mathews leaves a hole for Sri Lanka. West Indies look good for a victory once again here, owing to their balanced attack and the in-form Shai Hope.

Thanks for reading!

Key areas for both India & England to work on in T20s

Debashish Sarangi
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Key areas for both India & England to work on in T20s

Key areas for both India & England to work on in T20s | IND vs ENG T20I series preview: Key areas for both teams to work on ahead of T20 World Cup

After the completion of an eventful Test series, we are going to witness what is expected to be a belter of a T20I series between India & England.

Being two of the best sides in the white-ball cricket right now, both India & England pose a very strong case to lift the World T20 Trophy, with the tournament to be played later this year.

But, there are still some areas of concern for both of these sides. In this article, I am going to highlight those key areas on which they should work in this series.

India: Batting in the middle overs, bowling in the powerplay

Looking at the record, the Indian team has lost 8 T20Is since 2019. One of the major reasons of those defeats is their batting in the middle overs phase, i.e. between 7-15 overs. In those 8 games, the Indian batsmen have scored at a run rate of a mere 6.86 in the middle overs. They have taken 9.81 deliveries to hit a boundary.

In the last 2 series against NZ and Australia, the cumulative SR of Indian batsmen in the middle overs was just 116.20. They have taken a huge 10.8 balls to hit a single boundary in the middle overs phase. Overall in 2020, India struck 625 runs from 90 overs with the bat, at a SR of 115.74 and BpB of 10.58 .So, it clearly shows the lack of the ability as well as intent to hit boundaries in this phase of the game. As spinners operate in this phase predominantly, India needs to try and persist with someone like Suryakumar Yadav, who has great numbers against spin and thus could possibly be the solution to this issue.

Another issue they have faced is their bowling in the first six overs of the match. In the powerplay, the Indian bowlers have conceded runs at an economy of 8.16 and have managed to take just 5 wickets in the 8 games they have lost since 2019. Also, in the last series against Australia, the economy of Indian bowlers in the powerplay was 8.83, which is pretty high I feel. They took 4.15 balls to concede one boundary and got just 2 wickets in 3 games in the powerplay. So, they definitely will look to work on this area before the T20 World Cup.

Also read: Is India’s squad vs England their best in T20s for a while?

England: Opening issue and bowling in the death overs

The English team has literally the most destructive batting lineup in white ball cricket right now. They have chased some really big totals, but their opening pair hasn’t fired for them in recent times. The average partnership of the English opening pair is just 19.75 since 2020. They have lost their first wicket before reaching 20 runs on eight occasions out of a total of 12 times.

Jos Buttler has been phenomenal, but his partners haven’t been up to the mark. Jonny Bairstow had four scores of below 10 runs in the T20Is he opened in 2020 (and was demoted to number 4) and Jason Roy’s recent form in white-ball cricket is not promising. Although Dawid Malan hasn’t let them face any serious problem batting at number 3, England will definitely look to resolve this issue as he also might have an off day in a certain game. 

Another glaring issue the English side needs to resolve is their bowling in the death overs. Since 2020, the English bowlers have conceded 569 runs at a very ordinary economy rate of 10.44 in the last five overs of the game. They haven’t really been able to keep the batsmen quiet, as their dot ball percentage of 24.46 suggests. So, it’s an area they definitely will look to improve.

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Both India and England are fantastic T20I sides and there is absolutely no doubt about it. But, they will become much more solid and perfect t20I teams if they resolve their respective issues as mentioned above.

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today.  

IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Sarthak Karkhanis
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IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs ENG 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | India vs England 1st T20I Key Players | Motera Ahmedabad Pitch Report

India and England face-off in the 1st of the 5 T20Is at Motera in Ahmedabad with an eye on the T20 World Cup which will be held later this year in the same country. Both the teams are considering this series as a preparation for the multi-nation tourney and two of the best teams in the world will be aiming to test their teams and observe how their players fare in the roles assigned to them. 

India have finally rewarded players who played a fearless brand of cricket in the IPL and hence Suryakumar Yadav is set to get his first international cap. Rishabh Pant is back into the squad after he was axed post a poor IPL for the T20I series against Australia, while Hardik Pandya will be playing at number six, and most probably, will be bowling a few overs. 

On the other hand, England will be playing with a full-strength team, unlike the Test matches. However, adapting to the Indian conditions especially the turning nature of pitch and dew will be the key for the visiting side. 

All-in-all, a potentially classic series awaits between two of the top white-ball sides in the world.

IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs ENG 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Motera Pitch Report
IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction: Rohit has been in good touch recently.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

  • Rohit Sharma needs 26 runs to score 9,000 runs in the shortest format of the game. He has scored a century against England and he will be the key in the series. The opener needs to tackle the Jofra Archer threat as the pacer has dismissed him twice in 3 innings in the IPL. 
  • Virat Kohli has a below-par strike rate of 110 in the middle-overs and it will be interesting to see whether he adopts a fearless approach to his gameplay. He has the most runs in IND-ENG T20Is (12 inns, 346 runs, avg. 31.45, SR 130.56).
  • Suryakumar Yadav had an impressive strike rate of 152 against pacers in IPL 2020 and it will be interesting to see how he fares in the T20I series. Overall, he struck 480 runs at 40 in IPL 2020.
  • KL Rahul scored the most runs in IPL 2020 (670), but his strike rate was in question. Will he play with freedom in this series? He has a century and half-century in six T20Is vs England.
  • Yuzvendra Chahal has the most wickets in IND-ENG T20Is (9 in 6 matches).

England:

  • Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan had strike rates of 120 and 110 respectively in the middle overs in IPL 2020. Considering they will be batting in the middle-order, the duo will be up for a big challenge. 
  • Dawid Malan has a strike rate of 152 and an average of 61 at number three in T20Is. The No. 1 T20I batsman will have a huge task on his hands in the upcoming series.
  • Jos Buttler has a somewhat modest record vs India, but can fire at any given moment. He averages 28.71 in 12 matches against them, with a strike rate of 137.67.
  • Jofra Archer, IPL 2020’s MVP, is set to play after an elbow complaint. He will be key at both the powerplay and death over stages.

Stats and Facts

  • Virat Kohli is 72 runs away from becoming the first cricketer in history to reach 3,000 runs in T20Is while Jonny Bairstow needs 68 runs to reach 1,000 runs in the format. 
  • India have won 4 out of their last 5 T20Is against England. 
  • Chahal needs one more wicket to become India’s top wicket-taker in T20Is. 
  • Hardik Pandya recently won man of the series in the T20Is vs Australia (SR 156 in three matches).
  • Adil Rashid has just three wickets in six T20Is vs India.

Possible Playing 11

Virat Kohli stated in the pre-match press conference that KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma will open the batting for the home side and Suryakumar Yadav might be preferred over Shreyas Iyer. There will be a dilemma whether to prefer a spin-bowling all-rounder or a pacer but it depends whether Hardik Pandya is fit to bowl. Also, T Natarajan is in doubt with a shoulder injury.

India: 1. Rohit Sharma, 2. KL Rahul, 3. Virat Kohli (c), 4. Suryakumar Yadav, 5. Rishabh Pant (wk), 6. Hardik Pandya, 7. Washington Sundar, 8. Axar Patel/Deepak Chahar, 9. Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10. Yuzvendra Chahal, 11. T Natarajan/Shardul Thakur/Navdeep Saini

England’s Top 6 is all set, with Moeen Ali and Sam Curran set to be the all-rounders. Adil Rashid will be the lead spinner of the attack and Chris Jordan will be the pacer who is guaranteed to start. Also, after some doubt about Archer’s availability, skipper Morgan said he is available for the series.

England: 1. Jason Roy, 2. Jos Buttler (wk), 3. Dawid Malan, 4. Jonny Bairstow, 5. Eoin Morgan, 6. Ben Stokes, 7. Moeen Ali, 8. Sam Curran, 9. Jofra Archer, 10. Chris Jordan, 11. Adil Rashid

Motera Ahmedabad Pitch Report and Weather

The Ahmedabad pitch is expected to favour batsmen and offer assistance to spinners like it has in the past. Dew might come into the picture later in the evening and chasing will be the preferred option by the captain who wins the toss. 

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs ENG 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Motera Pitch Report
IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | IND vs ENG 1st T20 Dream11 Prediction Today | Motera Pitch Report
IND vs ENG 1st T20I Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Both the teams will be aiming for a winning start to the 5-match series. But, given India’s familiarity with the conditions and if they adopt a fearless approach as the captain mentioned in the pre-match pre-conference, an Indian win shouldn’t come as a surprise. An exciting game awaits.

Written by Sarthak Karkhanis. Follow Sarthak on Twitter today.

Analysis: The best India T20 team for quite some time?

Tarkesh Jha
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Analysis: The best India T20 team for quite some time?

Analysis: The best India T20 team for quite some time? | What should India’s goals be in the upcoming T20I series vs England?

The Indian team will take on one of their most critical assignments ahead of the forthcoming World T20 later this year. Virat Kohli’s men will have a difficult challenge to tackle the flamboyant English unit. The two teams will face off across five matches, and this is perhaps the best preparations that India can hope for in the shortest format of the game before heading into the world championship.

So, what are the major objectives that the men in blue will be looking to tick off in this much-anticipated series?

Firstly, it’s integral to note that the national selection committee took a bold turn ahead of this contest. Earlier, one had witnessed a trend of players repeatedly being ignored despite some stunning performances in the IPL. Furthermore, the Indian team always looked to play the catch-up game in the T20 format. That is, they were always chasing the momentum, not setting the tone of the game right from the upfront. This was largely down to the mainly conventional style of batsmanship that continues to dominate the Indian think-tank in T20 cricket.

However, the player selection for the upcoming T20 series defied all prevailing wisdom. Newer names such as Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Rahul Tewatia were introduced to the setup. Fine talents like T Nataranjan and Varun Chakravarthy were persisted with in the squad too, though the duo will be unable to make it to the squad now. The Indian T20 side has often been targeted for failing to keep up with the global standards and still holding on to their safety-first approach.

Analysis: The best India T20 team for quite some time? | What should India's goals be in the upcoming T20I series vs England?
The best India T20 team for quite some time? Ishan Kishan is an excellent option for the middle overs.

Players like Suryakumar, Kishan and Tewatia had their respective breakthrough IPL season last year. To be fair, Yadav had been knocking the national team door for quite some time. However, he broke down any remaining barriers with a career-defining campaign in 2020 and forced his way into the national team. With the inclusion of Surya and Kishan, the T20 side just seems to have gained a new lease of life altogether.

India has never had the dearth of players whose basic instinct is to attack the ball first in T20 cricket, at least in recent years. However, for that trend to amalgamate comprehensively with the incumbent strategy would obviously require some time. The selection of players such as Kishan and Suryakumar proves that the selectors have finally begun adopting an approach that has been much advocated for quite some time.

The Mumbai Indians duo promises to add some terrific flamboyance to the middle-order, which will be further bolstered by the presence of the reinvigorated Rishabh Pant. India has regularly faced the flak of going slow in the key 7-15 overs period, and southpaws such as Kishan and Pant will cause some serious trouble to the opposition’s wrist-spinners in this phase. Moreover, these are individuals who are adept at playing the long innings when required. So, they aren’t mere hit-and-go players who will click on some occasions and falter on most others.

These players’ modus operandi is that they have excelled whilst playing a vibrant, progressive brand of cricket consistently. They can be trusted to deliver the goods day in, day out. Add to this the opening pair of KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma, and India stares at a splendid T20 batting lineup; a combination that caters to the modern-day demands from this format.

Furthermore, the pace duo of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Deepak Chahar will return to the setup after recovering from their respective injuries. Kumar used to be one of the vital cogs of team India’s pace bowling arsenal. However, injuries have regularly kept him out of the scheme of things in recent times, thus somewhat pushing him down the pecking order. Similarly, Chahar had attained resounding success in the T20I series against Bangladesh in late 2019 that had almost confirmed his ticket to the World T20 2020 that couldn’t take place due to the pandemic.

Analysis: The best India T20 team for quite some time? | What should India's goals be in the upcoming T20I series vs England?
The best India T20 team for quite some time? Can Bhuvneshwar Kumar still produce the goods?

Both Bhuvneshwar and Chahar have attained incredible success in the IPL, something that warrants their selection in this series. Moreover, Jasprit Bumrah’s absence will put the two in limelight and some promising performances against this excellent English batting unit will surely enhance their stature in the international T20 circuit. Moreover, some insecurity is bound to creep into players as they sit outside for considerable period of times and other newbies exploit that opening to cement their spots in the side.

Bhuvneshwar and Chahar will be adamant to battle the odds and further reaffirm their credentials as efficient T20 bowlers. The two pacers might not have piercing, lethal pace. But they are smart operators with the new ball and are excellent bets in the death overs. They will be ever so keen to erase any apprehensions over their caliber, a difficulty that every top-class international sportsperson has to overcome at some point.

Lastly, the Indian team will have get in the groove quickly and adopt their roles as seamlessly as possible to defeat this supremely talented English side. Virat Kohli will be looking for the newer additions in the batting order to fire and showcase their spark in the international arena too. On the other hand, the older workhorses in the bowling unit will be tasked to regain their mojo as the team prepares for the mega home World T20.

Hence, there are several key objectives that the Indian team will have to address amidst focusing on gaining a positive eventual outcome of the series too.

Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter today.

Protected: Test content: India vs England T20Is: Key players to watch

Debashish Sarangi
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Protected: Test content: India vs England T20Is: Key players to watch

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IND vs ENG T20Is 2021: 6 key players to watch

Debashish Sarangi
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IND vs ENG T20Is 2021: 6 key players to watch

IND vs ENG T20Is: 6 key players to watch | 6 key players to watch out for in the anticipated India vs England 2021 T20I series

Proving a majority of the cricket fans wrong, England started their tour of India with a bang by defeating the Indian team in the first Test in Chennai. But, unfortunately things got worse for them as the series progressed and India clinched the series by winning the rest three Tests comfortably.

Now, it’s time for some white-ball cricket as both of these great LOI sides are going to play a 5-match T20I series against each other. Several fresh faces are included in the squads of both the teams, which indicates that there will be some experiments prior to the T20 world cup. In this article, I am going to mention six players to watch out for in this series. Here we go.

Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant has all the abilities in the world to be a beast in the shortest format of the game, but somehow hasn’t been able to replicate his IPL success in international stage so far.

But, after performing brilliantly in the Australian tour, his confidence has gone up to a new level. He has shown a great sense of “match awareness” and played some gem knocks recently in Test cricket. His belief on his abilities is quite visible. In the absence of Sanju Samson and Manish Pandey, Pant is set to make his T20I return in the series against England. Looking at the kind of form he is in and the amount of confidence and self-belief he has right now, I really feel he will express himself to the utmost extent on the field this time and score some really crucial runs for India.

Dawid Malan

IND vs ENG T20Is: 6 key players to watch | 6 key players to watch out for in the anticipated India vs England 2021 T20I series
IND vs ENG T20Is: Dawid Malan will be key.

The number-one ranked T20I batsman Dawid Malan is going to play against India for the very first time in his career.

Malan has been fabulous right from his debut. We have seen him stabilizing the innings superbly, coming after the fall of an early wicket several times in the recent T20Is played by the English team. In the most recent T20I series of England against South Africa, he smashed 173 runs at a splendid average of 86.50 and a brilliant strike rate of 161.68.

Overall, he has 5 centuries to his name in T20 cricket. He can hold one end and also has the ability to accelerate when he gets set. The way he paces his innings is brilliant. So, the English batting unit will definitely rely on its “MR. Consistent” to give a tough challenge to the Indian bowlers. 

T Natarajan

IND vs ENG T20Is: 6 key players to watch | 6 key players to watch out for in the anticipated India vs England 2021 T20I series
IND vs ENG T20Is: What a few months Natarajan has had.

He went to Australia as a net bowler, but ended up the tour as one of the biggest positives for India in recent times. Natarajan’s journey has been such an inspirational one so far. He impressed every one of us with his bowling skills in the death overs, particularly his ability to bowl yorkers consistently, as well as accurately.

In the 3 T20Is he played in Australia, Natarajan grabbed 6 wickets and had a phenomenal economy of 6.92. Now, he is going to face one of the best batting units in white-ball cricket. So, the challenge will be bigger. In the absence of Bumrah, the pressure on Natarajan at the death overs will be huge as well. I trust his skills as he has delivered in Australia in the absence of Bumrah. So, I expect good returns from him in this series and he will play a key role in keeping the English batsmen quiet. 

Yuzvendra Chahal

IND vs ENG T20Is: 6 key players to watch | 6 key players to watch out for in the anticipated India vs England 2021 T20I series
IND vs ENG T20Is: Chahal is a classy bowler.

Yuzvendra Chahal is the trump card of Indian bowling in white-ball cricket. Even in the last T20I series against Australia, he came as a concussion substitute for Ravindra Jadeja and played a key role in the victory of the Indian team in the first T20I by picking three crucial wickets. Chahal has picked 9 wickets from 6 T20I games against England at an economy of 7.38 (much better than his career economy). Also, his best figures of 6-25 came against the English team in the home series back in 2017.

We all know that Chahal is a very intelligent bowler and has the ability to bamboozle the batsmen with his minute variations. The Indian team will heavily rely on Chahal to pick wickets at crucial moments and his success rate will definitely play a key role in India’s overall performance with the ball in this series.

Jos Buttler

IND vs ENG T20Is: 6 key players to watch | 6 key players to watch out for in the anticipated India vs England 2021 T20I series
IND vs ENG T20Is: Buttler can be destructive.

If you ask me who the biggest match-winner is in the current English side, my answer will be Jos Buttler.

The exploits of Buttler in white-ball cricket is known to everyone. Since Buttler has been given the chance to open the batting continuously from 2018, he has scored 482 runs from 13 innings at a very impressive average of 43.81 and a terrific SR of 155.98. So, it is evident that he has been enjoying his new role as an opener in T20Is.

His job will be to provide a blistering start on which the middle order and lower middle order batsmen can capitalize on. If he gets set, he can dominate the Indian spinners by unsettling them with his shots all around the park, especially the sweeps and reverse sweeps. So, India should look to get Jos Buttler’s wicket as quickly as possible.

Hardik Pandya

IND vs ENG T20Is: 6 key players to watch | 6 key players to watch out for in the anticipated India vs England 2021 T20I series
IND vs ENG T20Is: Hardik Pandya has been performing brilliantly.

The performance of the Indian batting unit in the death overs depends largely on the performance of Hardik Pandya.

He smashed bowlers like Jofra Archer, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje etc with ease in the IPL last year and carried his fabulous form into the Australian tour as well. He scored 210 runs at a bradmanesque average of 105 and a superb SR of 114.75 in the ODI series against Australia and was the man of the series in the T20I series that followed. Since IPL 2020, Hardik has scored 359 runs at an impressive average of 35.9 and a magnificent SR of 173.42 in T20 cricket.

It is quite evident from these facts that he has been in fabulous touch for quite a while now; has showed his calmness and maturity during pressure situations and I believe he will definitely play a crucial role in team India’s success in this t20I series.

So, these are my six players to watch out for in the upcoming T20I series between India and England. Have your say!

Written by Debashish Sarangi. Follow Debashish on Twitter today.     

WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Key Players | Antigua Pitch Report

After one of the most enthralling T20I series in recent memory, attention turns to an ODI series between two sides looking to make improvements in a format they have played little of in recent years. And, important ODI Super League points are up for grabs.

Both West Indies and Sri Lanka have been mostly involved in Test and T20I formats over the past 12 months, which makes this ODI series a battle of shaking off the rust. And, given how aggressive the batsmen looked to be in the T20Is, this series could be anything.

Sri Lanka’s last assignment was a year ago, where they swept West Indies 3-0 in home conditions. For the West Indies, they were taken apart 3-0 in Bangladesh earlier this year, but the side they’ll field today will be vastly different to the inexperienced one that toured the subcontinent.

To paint a picture of how little they’ve played, West Indies have played just 18 ODIs since the 2019 World Cup. Sri Lanka have played even less (8), so how quickly these teams hit their groove will be interesting to see.

WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Key Players | Antigua Pitch Report
WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction: Hasaranga was superb in the T20Is.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

West Indies:

  • Shai Hope scored three 50+ scores (including a century) in the 2020 series vs Sri Lanka (3 inns, 238 runs, avg. 79.33). He averages 52.20 in 78 ODIs.
  • Darren Bravo has the most runs vs Sri Lanka of any current West Indian player (11 ins, 349 runs, avg. 31.72). The key will be building on a modest average.
  • Nicholas Pooran, who had a quiet T20I series, has a good ODI record vs Sri Lanka (4 inns, 210 runs, avg. 52.50, 1 50, 1 100).
  • Jason Holder has taken 14 wickets in nine ODIs vs Sri Lanka. Fabian Allen was player of the match in the last T20I, and scored a 32-ball 51 vs Sri Lanka in the 2019 World Cup.
  • Alzarri Joseph had a superb series against Sri Lanka last year. He took 10 wickets in three ODIs.

Sri Lanka:

  • Dimuth Karunaratne will be key at the top for Sri Lanka. He has played just four ODIs vs West Indies (129 runs, avg. 32.25), but has a solid record as captain to date: 14 inns, 493 runs, avg. 37.92, SR 76.55.
  • The experience of Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews will be key for Sri Lanka. Matthews has a solid enough record vs WI that he can build on (9 inns, 205 runs, avg. 34.16, SR 93.60).
  • Wanindu Hasaranga had a dream T20I series, where the Windies batsmen could not get a hold of him. He took 3/12, 3/17 and 2/13. It will be interesting to see if he can transfer this form to ODIs.

Stats and Facts

  • Sri Lanka beat West Indies 3-0 in 2020. In fact, Sri Lanka have won eight of their past nine ODIs against West Indies since 2015.
  • Only Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have scored more ODI runs than Shai Hope since 2018. In this period, Hope has struck 3,102 runs at 61.02.
  • Interestingly, Kieron Pollard has an awful batting record vs Sri Lanka. He averages just 9.42 against them in eight ODIs. Can he improve on that here?
  • Angelo Mathews had a poor series vs West Indies in 2020 (3 inns, 18 runs, avg. 6.00).

Possible Playing 11

West Indies: 1. Shai Hope (wk), 2. Evin Lewis, 3. Darren Bravo, 4. Kyle Mayers, 5. Nicholas Pooran, 6. Kieron Pollard (c), 7. Jason Holder, 8. Romario Shepherd, 9. Fabian Allen, 10. Akeal Hosein/Kevin Sinclair, 11. Alzarri Joseph

Sri Lanka: 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (c), 2. Danushka Gunathilaka, 3. Pathum Nissanka, 4. Dinesh Chandimal, 5. Angelo Mathews, 6. Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 7. Thisara Perera, 8. Wanindu Hasaranga, 9. Lakshan Sandakan/Akila Dananjaya, 10. Dushmantha Chameera, 11. Nuwan Pradeep

Sir Vivian Richards Stadium North Sound Antigua Pitch Report and Weather

There have been no ODIs at this ground in 2017. In that year, there were three ODIs, with the team batting first winning twice. The average first innings score was 257.33.

Some showers are forecast throughout the day, but there should be a result.

Also read: How England missed a huge opportunity vs India

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Key Players | Antigua Pitch Report
WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction Today | West Indies vs Sri Lanka 1st ODI Key Players | Antigua Pitch Report
WI vs SL 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Sri Lanka have an excellent recent record vs West Indies. However, with key experience and talent in the Windies squad, as well as key Sri Lankan absentees, West Indies start as favourites for victory.

Thanks for reading!

AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

Charbel Coorey
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0
AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report

AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2nd Test Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report

Soon after the third India vs England Test ended in less than two days, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe followed suit in the swiftly-concluded Test last week.

And what a game for Zimbabwe. Led by the seamers and Sean Williams, the Zimbabweans dismantled Afghanistan for their first Test victory since 2018, and first against a side other than Bangladesh since 2013. Now, the challenge will be to repeat it. Not since 1998 have Zimbabwe won consecutive Tests, and a great opportunity awaits here.

However, the return of Rashid Khan will bolster Afghanistan’s hopes. But, for the Afghans to bounce back here, they must show much greater fight and resistance with the bat, after flirting with deliveries outside their off-stump on numerous occasions in the first Test. As they are still learning their trade in the game’s longest format, how quickly will they learn from their errors from the opening game?

AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2nd Test Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report
AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction: Rashid Khan is back.

Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

Afghanistan:

  • Ibrahim Zadran impressed again. In fact, he scored 40% of Afghanistan’s runs in the first Test, displaying the patience and technique that his teammates lacked (31 and 76).
  • A quiet Test from Rahmat Shah did Afghanistan no favours. Can Afghanistan’s leading Test run-scorer (304) bounce back?
  • Asghar Afghan must lead from the front. The skipper has three half-centuries to his name in five Tests. He has the second-most runs for Afghanistan in Tests (276).
  • The return of Rashid Khan can be game-changing. His ability to turn the ball both ways at speed will be a test for Zimbabwe. Rashid has 23 wickets in his four Tests to date.
  • His spin partner, Amir Hamza continued his consistency in FC cricket. He has two five-fors in two Tests, to go with 86 wickets in 15 First Class matches at an average of 20.59.

Zimbabwe:

  • After his superb century in the first Test, Sean Williams now averages 40.14 in four Tests in Asia. The Zimbabwe captain will be key again.
  • Sikandar Raza and Regis Chakabva both looked good with the bat in the first Test. They each scored 40+ in a low-scoring Test, and contributed with their other disciplines (bowling and wicket-keeping respectively).
  • How good was Blessing Muzarabani? The tall Zimbabwe seamer extracted disconcerting bounce, taking match figures of 6/62 in 20 overs.
  • Victor Nyauchi also took six wickets (6/64 off 17 overs). His focus on seam movement worked a charm.

Stats and Facts

  • Zimbabwe have not won a Test series (consisting of more than one Test) since 2004.
  • Ibrahim Zadran has a Test average of 42.50 after three Tests (255 runs).
  • After winning two of their first three Tests, Afghanistan have lost their last two (vs West Indies and Zimbabwe).

Possible Playing 11

Afghanistan: 1. Ibrahim Zadran, 2. Abdul Malik, 3. Rahmat Shah, 4. Munir Ahmad 5. Asghar Afghan (c), 6. Hashmatullah Shahidi 7. Afsar Zazai (wk), 8. Rashid Khan, 9. Amir Hamza, 10. Yamin Ahmadzai, 11. Zahir Khan/Fazalhaq Farooqi

Zimbabwe: 1. Prince Masvaure, 2. Kevin Kasuza, 3. Tarisai Musakanda, 4. Sean Williams (c), 5. Wesley Madhevere, 6. Sikandar Raza, 7. Ryan Burl, 8. Regis Chakabva (wk), 9. Donald Tiripano, 10. Blessing Muzarabani, 11. Victor Nyauchi

Abu Dhabi Pitch Report and Weather

According to reports, there is less grass on the Abu Dhabi pitch ahead of the second Test. This, along with the hot weather, could bring the spinners into the game earlier.

Dream11 Prediction

Option 1:

AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2nd Test Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report
AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction

Option 2:

AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Possible Playing 11 Pitch Report | AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction Today | Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe 2nd Test Key Players | Abu Dhabi Pitch Report
AFG vs ZIM 2nd Test Dream11 Prediction

Match Prediction

Zimbabwe are favourites, but the addition of Rashid Khan could be game-changing. Both sides look frail with the bat, so the experienced batsmen must step up for victory.

Thanks for reading!

How England missed a huge opportunity in India

Charbel Coorey
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0
How England missed a huge opportunity in India

How England missed a huge opportunity in India | A look at how England missed a significant opportunity to beat India in India

The talk of pitches dominated the middle part of the four-match Test series, but England missed a significant opportunity. Joe Root’s side rightly needed to look at rotation given the mammoth year they have in front of them, but an opportunity beckoned for this side still looking to make a strong mark in Test cricket.

Conditions were tough, but when are they ever easy in India? England, who performed well in Sri Lanka, started their India tour in the best possible fashion. They got the best of the conditions in the first Test in Chennai, but the missed opportunity lies in the fact that they also got the best of the conditions in the third and fourth Tests respectively, only to blow it through a mixture of poor and tentative decision making.

A Joe Root double-century and James Anderson masterclass represented happy days for England, but that was all she wrote for this series. What must have been most alarming from England fan’s perspective was the meek surrender of England’s batsmen, particularly on the final day of the series, with very few batsmen willing to play with the mental fortitude required to succeed against such accurate and relentless bowling in Indian conditions.

Pitch blaming or accountability? How England move forward

Many England pundits, led by Michael Vaughan, were enraged at the pitches for the second and third Test matches. This was particularly surprising given that such pitches bring the opposition into the game. Australia in Pune in 2017 and the wicket-taking prowess of Jack Leach, among other examples, show that such surfaces actually come with a risk from an Indian perspective.

Especially when they’re already 1-0 down, knowing that another defeat will demolish their World Test Championship Final hopes.

England had the luxury of batting first three times out of four in this series. In fact, Kevin Pietersen tweeted about how important the toss was in the opening two Tests. And, when you have pitches that are turning big from day one, with the ball going through the top of the surface, it represents an opportunity when you get the chance to bat first.

Pietersen hit the nail on the head in his assessment, highlighting just why he was such a brilliant player in his day.

‘If Chris Silverwood is now starting to complain and moan about the pitch,’ said Pietersen, ‘if the head coach is going to moan and complain, that is as defeatist an attitude as I have ever heard of. He should wind his neck in. If you point your finger at someone else, four fingers point back at you and that’s what England need to remember.

‘If it was me after this Test match, as an England player I would say, “You know what, I played badly, I have got a week now to try and play and practise as best as I can so that we can try and win the next Test match. Because winning the next Test match and winning two Test matches in India and drawing the series is a damned good feat”.

If you get 250 on the board, you are in a magnificent position all of a sudden.

Instead, England were threatened. Their mental game was all over the place. Straight balls seemed unplayable, as England were petrified of deliveries beating their outside edge. In India, the golden rule is to protect your stumps, i.e. let the ball go past the outside edge rather than inside edge. The opposite rule seemed to apply to England.

As was the case in the second Test at Chennai, a lot was made of the pitch for the third Test in Ahmedabad, the shortest since World War II. However, how many of the wickets that fell were actually caused by the pitch itself?

Hint: Not many.

In fact, 12 of the 19 wickets that fell to India’s spinners were straight balls. Numerous others that fell to turning deliveries were ‘hit-and-hope’ shots by the lower order in the hope of getting some quick and priceless runs.

This theory was then proved right in the final Test, as horrendous England batting in both innings reflected a side shot on confidence and any will to succeed. Straight deliveries were again their enemy, even on a pitch with significantly less turn than that of the third Test. After Joe Root struck a magnificent double-century in the opening game, England then crossed 200 just once for the remainder of the series. A sorry story.

How England missed a huge opportunity in India | A look at how England missed a significant opportunity to beat India in India
Joe Root’s double century seems a distant memory.

Lack of effective planning and questionable team selections

Unlike the patience of Alastair Cook and flamboyance of Kevin Pietersen nine years ago on England’s successful tour of India, England lacked a clear game plan with the bat this time around.

Batsmen were indecisive with their footwork and constantly playing for turn, which was recipe for disaster in what looked like favourable outcomes for England: three toss wins out of four in spin-friendly conditions.

What also hurt England was their indecisiveness in their team selections. Their decision to play three specialist seamers plus Ben Stokes for the third Test was a grave misread of the pitch, choosing a team for the pink ball rather than the 22 yards. Then, in the fourth, England overcompensated by picking just one specialist seamer – 38-year old James Anderson, to be partnered with Ben Stokes, who hadn’t done much bowling owing to a shoulder complaint.

Such a strategy brings such risk in the Ahmedabad heat. And, such a strategy brings even more risk when you have Dom Bess in your attack – a bowler that Joe Root struggles to trust. In fact, Bess was dropped after the first Test, despite taking wickets, owing to his lack of control. So, to play him in such an undermanned attack is not only asking too much of Bess, but it is sheer lunacy and forces you to take every inch of energy out of Anderson, Stokes and Leach.

With every full toss that Bess delivered and every blow handed by Pant and Sundar, the realisation became even more clear that the visiting side got things horribly wrong.

To be clear, a rotation policy is understandable. In fact, it is necessary in a year of ridiculous scheduling. England have already played five of 17 Tests in a year that includes the IPL, T20 World Cup, a full Test season at home and then the Ashes.

As Australia found out, this India side is a remarkable one, with the potential to dominate world cricket over the next 5-10 years. However, as a challenger in India’s backyard, players should be held more accountable. Many criticised the pitches, but, the bigger picture is that if you get the chance to bat first on such pitches, especially when you’ve got a foothold in the series, it is an opportunity that great players of the past would have grabbed with both hands.

For this England side, they’ve got a long way to go to get there.

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