World Cup 2019: 3 key battles to watch out for when India take on England
After a number of one-sided contests, the 2019 World Cup has come to life with a number of closely fought encounters. England losing two games on the trot and Pakistan winning two consecutive games has suddenly opened up the contest.
Teams like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, who were given no chance before the World Cup are still in contention for a semi-final spot. There are some really important games coming up but none more important than England taking on India.
England are under some pressure after losing two games and would desperately want to win this one. India, on the other hand, have a score to settle after losing the ODI series to the hosts in 2018.
With the top two ranked teams set to be locked in the main battle, there are always small battles to watch out for. Here, we have a look at three such key battles which could decide the game.
#3 Jasprit Bumrah vs Jonny Bairstow
The battle between a new ball bowler and an opening batsman is always fun to watch. Jasprit Bumrah is the No.1 ODI bowler in the world right now and he is bowling with some serious pace. It's just not the pace but the line and length which he is hitting, that makes him a class apart and is hard to tackle.
Jonny Bairstow, on the other hand has not had a great run in the tournament. Famous for his quick hundreds, the aggression has been missing from his batting this tournament and the opener has also been dismissed for a duck on two occasions.
He will be itching to perform well against India and help his team steady their claim for a spot in the semifinals. But it won't be easy for that man while Bumrah comes at his with the new ball. Bairstow is an attacking batsman by nature so it will definitely be fun when Bairstow and Bumrah come face to face on Sunday.