We have opted for a fantasy cricket team based on the recent performances, overall impact, and credit points.
Pitch Report for England vs India Match
In the ongoing English T20 League, the average first and second innings scores read 156 and 145 in the last five games. If anything, the pitch produced an even battle between the bat and ball. Expect a thrilling contest.
Probable XI for England & India
Probable XI for England: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (c & wk), Philip Salt, Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, David Willey, Tymal Mills, Matthew Parkinson
India have rested Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja, and Jasprit Bumrah for the first game.
Probable XI for India: Rohit Sharma (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Deepak Hooda, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Avesh Khan/Umran Malik, Yuzvendra Chahal
Power Players for England vs India Match
Rohit Sharma’s numbers against England make good reading. In 11 T20Is, he has managed 317 runs at 40 including a hundred and two fifties. However, his recent form in the Indian T20 League may raise concerns: he averaged below 20 for the first time since the inception of the tournament.
On the other hand, Jos Buttler has been in the form of his life. In the league, he smashed 863 runs comprising four hundreds and as many fifties. Against India, he is the highest run-scorer for his team in the format: 373 runs at a strike rate of 142.
Smart Picks for England vs India Match
In the recently concluded ODI series against the Netherlands, Jason Roy scored 73 and 101*. His last five scores against India in the format read 49, 46, 9, 40, and 0.
In his last four competitive T20 games, Deepak Hooda has scored 45, 47*, 104, and 59. He scored his maiden international hundred in only his fifth appearance. In the absence of Kohli, he is likely to get another go at No.3.
Ishan Kishan goes bonkers right away, irrespective of conditions and match situation. England will have to be wary of his aggressive approach. He has blasted 524 runs at a strike rate of 134 in 17 T20Is.
The Englishmen will go hard at the Indian bowlers, but putting a price on their wickets against strike bowlers such as Yuzvendra Chahal and Harshal Patel will be a challenging task. While Chahal tosses up the ball, Harshal has a variety of deliveries in his arsenal.
Battle of All-Rounders
Liam Livingstone not only hits into-the-orbit but also has a reputation for bagging crucial wickets with his spin-bowling. He took 7 wickets in 5 games and registered the highest score of 75 in the ongoing English T20 League.
For India, Hardik Pandya often provides points with both bat and ball. However, note that both Livingstone and Hardik are given overs based on match situations and are unlikely to complete their full quota of overs. It all depends on how their captains utilise their dual skills.
Moeen Ali’s experience of playing against Indian bowlers will come in handy. In 2022, he has taken five wickets and scored 108 runs in five T20Is.
Sam Curran has been in top form this English summer. He has scored 50 in his last T20 game and 126 in his last First-Class game. With the ball, his best bowling figures read 5 for 30 and 4 for 14 in the English T20 League.
Today’s Match Preview
India lead the head-to-head numbers, winning 10 of 19 T20Is against England. Both teams will miss a few superstars in the opening game, but are equally loaded with quality all-rounders and T20 specialists. We are in for top-quality cricket.
Time: July 7, 10:30 PM IST