Last Updated on 6 years by Charbel Coorey
The second of two blockbuster semi finals in one day.
One the repeat of the World T20 2016 Final. The other the repeat of the 2017 50-over World Cup Final.
How good?
India and England will know who the opponent in the final will be when they take the field. Getting past the semi final will be a huge test, though, which makes this game a beauty. India have been the best batting side in the tournament, and will come against a fine bowling unit in England, who nearly overcame hosts West Indies in their final group game.
Who will be the second World T20 2018 finalist?
You couldn’t have blamed India if they were nervous before World T20 2018, grouped against Australia and New Zealand. However, they were superb right throughout the group stage, playing with self belief that renders them very capable of taking out the title. Topping Group B is an excellent achievement, especially considering India’s disappointing run of results in World T20 tournaments, which is something they can put right in the Caribbean. Will they put together another good performance, this time in a do-or-die game?
What should we make of England? They have been very good with the ball this tournament, thrashing Bangladesh and South Africa, after the unfortunate washout against Sri Lanka. However, their chance to get batting form didn’t quite materialise against West Indies, getting to a total of 115 that proved to be just short. Can they get the better of India’s good batting lineup?
Key to an India win
India kept legend Mithali Raj out against Australia to tend to a knee issue, but as has been the case in the tournament, different players have stepped up with the bat. Smriti Mandhana hit timely form with a superb knock against a good Australia attack, which adds so much extra threat about this India line up. Runs on the board against a good England attack will be both challenging and crucial, so can Mandhana have another big impact, along with Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur and Jemimah Rodrigues?
Also, there is a chance England could be underdone with the bat, which represents an opportunity for India. Before the game against the Windies, England had batted a total of just 23.4 overs in the tournament. The likes of Danielle Wyatt, Tammy Beaumont, Natalie Sciver and Heather Knight will be key targets for India to keep quiet – a big job awaits for India’s attack, where again most of the bowlers were in the wickets against Australia.
Key to an England win
Just three England players reached double figures against West Indies, with two coming from numbers seven and eight. Their top six falling for just 50 is something they must avoid against India, who have been good with the bat in this tournament. Without a doubt, the four England batters mentioned above have a huge role to play for their team, tasked with the role of negotiating India’s good mix of pace and spin.
However, England have a good mix of pace and spin themselves, and if they can fire, the pressure on the batting performance is reduced significantly. Despite their poor performance in the field against the Windies, England nearly pulled off a win, which should give them encouragement that an improved performance against India will render them very competitive. Can Anya Shrubsole continue her incredible form, backed up by her teammates?
Possible teams
India: 1. Mithali Raj, 2. Smriti Mandhana, 3. Jemimah Rodrigues, 4. Harmanpreet Kaur (c), 5. Veda Krishnamurthy, 6. Dayalan Hemathala, 7. Deepti Sharma, 8. Taniya Bhatia (wk), 9. Arundhati Reddy, 10. Radha Yadav, 11. Poonam Yadav
England: 1. Danielle Wyatt, 2. Tammy Beaumont, 3. Amy Jones (wk), 4. Natalie Sciver, 5. Heather Knight, 6. Lauren Winfield, 7. Sophia Dunkley, 8. Anya Shrubsole, 9. Linsey Smith/Danielle Hazell, 10. Sophie Ecclestone, 11. Kirstie Gordon
Dream11
A challenging task picking a strong Dream11 team, with plenty of talent on either side. Below is my team, with a few pointers.
- Taniya Bhatia batted higher up the order against Australia, but will likely move back down the order with Mithali Raj expected to return. Amy Jones is likelier to get a greater opportunity to bat.
- Despite a slight knee issue, Mithali Raj’s prowess can’t be ignored. Jemimah Rodrigues makes my side, and so too Danielle Wyatt who can score well and quickly.
- Harmanpreet Kaur and Natalie Sciver are my captain and vice captain respectively.
- Poonam Yadav and Anya Shrubsole are must-haves in the bowling attack. Among all T20I women’s bowlers, Shrubsole (13.04) and Yadav (13.20) have the second and third best averages. Radha Yadav and Arundhati Reddy offer good value.
Stats and Facts
- Anya Shrubsole took the most incredible six-wicket haul to lead England to World Cup glory against India last year.
- England have a 10-3 win-loss record against India in T20Is.
- India possess four of the top ten leading run scorers in World T20 2018 (Raj, Mandhana, Kaur and Rodrigues).
- England possess three of the top five economical bowlers in World T20 2018 (min five overs – Sciver, Shrubsole, Gordon).
Prediction
Another incredibly tough game to predict!
Have India peaked too soon? Can England hit their top form?
These are questions we will find out soon.
For me, I think India will win on the back of being a more well-drilled unit at the moment. Of course, can’t count England out, as the semi-finals is a whole new ball game.
Thanks for reading!
