India v England 2021: SWOT analysis of England's T20I squad
After an intense Test series, England and India will battle it out in a 5-match T20 international series starting from 12th March, 2021. All matches will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
India and England have faced each other 14 times in T20 internationals, with both teams having won seven matches apiece.
England are the top-ranked T20I side in the ICC rankings and have been playing exceptional cricket for the past couple of years.
England have named a strong T20 team to challenge India in the upcoming series. Eoin Morgan will lead the 16-man squad. The squad is well-balanced, with a blend of experience and young players.
The England squad for the said series is as follows:
Eoin Morgan (capt), Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Sam Billings, Jos Buttler (wk), Sam Curran, Tom Curran, Chris Jordan, Liam Livingstone, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, Reece Topley, Mark Wood.
In this article, we attempt to delve into the strengths and weaknesses of the England squad for the T20 internationals.
Strength- Depth in batting
England T20I squad's biggest strength is their batting depth. The T20 format provides the perfect opportunity for hard-hitting English batsmen to attack from the word go.
In Jason Roy and Jos Buttler, England have two of the hardest hitters in world cricket and can be threatening, especially in powerplay overs. The duo have considerable experience of playing T20 cricket in India. Roy has a strike-rate of 145.23 in India in nine T20Is. Buttler, on the other hand, strikes even better in India, at a rate of 158.75 in 12 T20Is so far.
Dawid Malan is the top-ranked T20I batsman, who averages 53.44 and has a strike-rate of 149.48 in 19 T20Is. Malan is yet to play a T20 international on the sub-continent and will look to prove himself in testing conditions.
Bairstow had a torrid time in the two Ahmedabad Tests, and will look to create an impact in the T20Is. He has a healthy strike-rate of 139.52 in 40 T20 international innings and has six half-centuries to his credit. He usually bats in the middle order in T20 internationals and will look to get back to scoring ways.
Skipper Morgan is an exceptional white-ball cricketer and a great finisher. He can score quickly in death overs and has a good 12-year experience in T20Is. He averages a healthy 30.37 in T20 internationals and has a strike-rate of 138.99 with 14 half-centuries to his credit.
The duo of Stokes and Ali are well-known for their aggressive approach but can stabilize the innings in the middle-order too. Stokes has a strike rate of 134.08 and Ali has a strike-rate of 134.71 in T20 internationals.
All the batsmen mentioned above, apart from Malan, have played IPL cricket too and are used to the Indian conditions.
The English batting is indeed their biggest strength going into the series.
Weakness- Fast bowler's lack of experience in India
There seems to be no glaring weakness in the England T20I squad. However, fast bowling could be a bit of a concern for their team management.
The likes of Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, Sam Curran and Tom Curran are yet to play a T20 international in India. Though they have played a handful of games in the IPL, they do not have considerable experience of playing international cricket in India.
Reece Topley has played two T20Is in India, but he won't have fond memories of them. He picked up just one wicket in 4.1 overs and conceded 55 runs.
Chris Jordan and Ben Stokes are the only two bowlers with experience of playing T20 internationals in India.
Opportunities- Fringe players to make a mark in international cricket and for the experienced players to regain the lost form
The five-match T20I series will provide the perfect opportunity for some of the English players to establish their place in the playing 11 with the T20 World Cup approaching.
The likes of Sam Billings and Liam Livingstone will look to make the most of the opportunity they get to play.
The series will also provide an opportunity for Bairstow to regain form. He struggled to get going in the Test series, failing to get off the mark in three of the four innings.
The T20I series will also provide another chance for Ben Stokes, who did not have the best of the Test series, to lead his team to a few wins.
Threats- Team India's exceptional run in T20 cricket
England are up against a confident Indian outfit. The Indian team is on a high after winning back-to-back Test series against Australia and England and qualifying for the ICC World Test Championship Final.
Team India have been in exceptional form in the T20 internationals in the last year. They whitewashed New Zealand by a 5-0 margin in New Zealand and thereafter beat Australia in Australia by a 2-1 margin.
India have named a strong squad to take on England and will look to extend their winning run in the T20 internationals in home conditions too.