3 things England need to do right to beat India in their 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal clash
England haven't been anywhere near their best at the 2024 T20 World Cup, but they've managed to reach yet another semifinal. The defending champions will lock horns with India at the Providence Stadium in Guyana on Thursday, June 27.
England will take heart from the fact that they hammered the Men in Blue the last time they played at this stage. Back in 2022, Buttler and Alex Hales fashioned a 10-wicket rout of the Indians, following which they went on to bag the trophy in the final against Pakistan.
However, England will know that India are a top-quality side. Rohit Sharma and his men are unbeaten so far in this year's tournament and will give the Englishmen their biggest test to date.
Here are three things England need to do right to beat India in their 2024 T20 World Cup semifinal clash.
#3 England should look to play an additional batter or spinner at Chris Jordan's expense
Chris Jordan has had his moments in this T20 World Cup, and in an England shirt as well, but he has never been the most reliable bowler. His tendency to adopt a yorker-heavy strategy at the death, coupled with his lack of consistency, makes him a risky operator in crunch games.
While it might be harsh to drop Jordan after the kind of tournament he has had, England might need to beef up their batting at a spin-friendly Guyana. Bringing in either Will Jacks or Ben Duckett could serve them well, particularly in a rain-affected game.
England could even play either Tom Hartley or Mark Wood instead of Jordan, with the former offering a valuable left-arm spin option and the latter being a weapon with his extra pace against the likes of Shivam Dube. Wood hasn't been in great form, but he has an X-factor that Jordan lacks.
#2 Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya must be attacked
Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav are near-impossible to get away, so England shouldn't look to take too many risks against them and give away their wickets on what is expected to be a moderately difficult batting track.
At the same time, Jos Buttler and Co. need to put Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya under pressure. While Arshdeep has lost his radar at times, Hardik was picked apart by Australia in the last game. Playing as the third pacer, the all-rounder going for runs could seriously affect India's bowling plans.
#1 Moeen Ali should be sent up the order to break up the band of right-handers
If England choose not to play Ben Duckett, they will have four right-handers in their top four, and none of them are known for taking on left-arm spinners. India have two in Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel, and promoting Moeen Ali to take them on would be a straightforward way to counter that.
Sam Curran is another left-hander who can be sent up, but he isn't the best hitter of spin. Moeen has more experience and more range and could be deployed in the top four to force Rohit to change his plans.