T20 World Cup 2022: 3 things which might determine the fate of India vs. England semifinal
India will face England in the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday (November 10). The Men in Blue have quite possibly been the most impressive team in the tournament, along with New Zealand.
However, the English were also one of the pre-tournament favorites because of their rich vein of form. Hence, it is not going to be easy to defeat them.
Many fans in the sub-continent might be gearing up to watch the dream India-Pakistan final in Melbourne. However, the Blues, who have not won an ICC trophy since 2013, cannot afford to start thinking about their prospects in the final. They have to focus entirely on the England match.
Four teams remain 🤩
It all begins at the SCG 🏟
#T20WorldCup https://t.co/wveJcXbXse
On that note, we will take a look at three things that might determine the fate of the second semifinal:
#1. India's much-vaunted batting should come good
India's batting is among the best in the world, with both Suryakumar Yadav and Virat Kohli in sublime form at the moment. Suryakumar, in particular, seems incapable of doing anything wrong and has absolutely decimated almost every bowling attack he has faced till now.
runs at the MCG
bit.ly/INDVZIM-T20WC 
For his breathtaking batting pyrotechnics, @surya_14kumar bagged the Player of the Match award as #TeamIndia beat Zimbabwe by 7⃣1⃣ runs at the MCG👏 👏
Scorecard 👉 bit.ly/INDVZIM-T20WC
#T20WorldCup | #INDvZIM https://t.co/k236XjavDv
As KL Rahul has also found form now and the fans will be praying for a good knock from skipper Rohit Sharma in the semifinal.
If Rohit finds form in the match against England, it will be difficult for the English to restrict the Indians to a small total. The final group match has shown that the surface has slowed down in Adelaide and might not offer true bounce.
In such a scenario, the Blues will need at least one of their batters to go after English spinners Adil Rashid, Liam Livingstone, and Moeen Ali. They cannot afford to allow them to race through their overs without conceding a lot of runs.
The Indian team management would also have to take a call in regard to the choice of their wicketkeeper. Dinesh Karthik has not been in the greatest of forms. Hence, Rishabh Pant might be favored, keeping in mind the threat posed by leg-spinner Rashid.
#2. England's balanced bowling attack
Both Sam Curran and Mark Wood have been among wickets for England and together they provide very contrasting challenges for the batters. Curran's ability to take the pace off the ball and Wood's lightning-fast length deliveries will force the batters to alter their playing styles frequently.
Moroever, England also have fast-bowling allrounders Chris Woakes and Ben Stokes. They can apply the brakes on the Indian batting with their disciplined bowling. Stokes has the knack of taking important wickets and Woakes usually bowls his cutters well and does not go for too many runs.
Hence, it will not be easy for the Blues to get off to a flying start in the first six overs. They might not risk playing too many rash shots early on in their innings.
Notably, England have not conceded too many runs in any of their matches till now. The presence of so many all-rounders in their team gives their captain a lot of options.
#3. Indian bowlers will be wary of the big hitters in the English team
England also have a number of big hitters in their team who can take the game away from the opposition in a few overs.
However, it might not be easy for the English batters to hit Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel over the ropes on a slow pitch. The likes of Livingstone, Harry Brook, Stokes, and Ali might find it difficult. The Indians will, however, have to field and catch well on the boundary line on Thursday.
England might target the first six overs to score a large chunk of their runs, just like they did against Sri Lanka. Both Jos Buttler and Alex Hales are in good nick. The likes of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami will have to bowl with a lot of control.
England captain Buttler, in particular, will be a dangerous man for the Blues and the Blues would like to see his back as early as possible on Thursday.
The momentum is with the Blues at the moment, but if any team can upset their plans with their big-hitting, it is England.