India are 2-0 up in the series, and England will have to make their move if they do not want the series to slip through their fingers. But in all fairness, England have been badly outdone by the hosts, who did not fail to fire in any way, be it batting, bowling, or even fielding. There will be discussions around how the visitors have played, even some eyebrow raises for Jos Buttler and the new coach Brendon McCullum, none of those, though, will conclude without mentioning how the hosts essentially crippled the English.
But Buttler would be somewhat calm that the next game is due to be played in Rajkot, where, luck willing, they can pair up with the conditions to get back at the Suryamkumar Yadav’s men and try to keep the series alive. Although India have won four out of the five T20Is they played in Rajkot, the ground becomes very toss-dependent in night games, something the visitors can hope to exploit in their favor.
Team Overview:
Jos Buttler has been in some form in the series so far, but that’s nothing less than a poisoned chalice for him. His teammate’s overreliance on him has resulted in little to no contribution to the tally off their bats. Jamie Smith, who came in to cover for Jacob Bethell, scored a quick 22-off-12 balls for some impact runs in the last game, as did Brydon Carse, who looked in good touch with both bat and ball. The English openers are yet to chip in the way they should and there wouldn’t be a better time, than this game, to do that. Their bowling line, much to Buttler’s glee, has done a fairly good job. Jofra Archer looked very much like his old self, and that should make England heave a sigh of relief given that the Champions Trophy is only a few weeks away.
Suryakumar Yadav has only two fifties in the eleven T20I games he has led the side in since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup last year. His brilliant captaincy and Indian batters’ decent outings with the bat have taken the spotlight away from him, which should help the Indian skipper find his way back to his trademark best. The best of the lot has been Tilak Verma, who finished the last four of his T20I innings unbeaten. These unbeaten innings include two centuries and one fifty. One of the secrets behind India’s success has been the presence of all-rounders in the side. In the last game, for instance, Suryakumar Yadav had seven players roll their arms over. Barring Ravi Bishnoi, all of the remaining bowlers managed to get at least one scalp.
Head-to-Head Matches:
England and India have pitched against each other in 26 T20I games. Out of these, India were the better side in 15 games while England won eleven.
Weather and Pitch Report:
Rajkot’s surface is a batter’s paradise. And these conditions become even more batting-friendly under the lights. Historically, the toss has played a significant role here, especially in night games. Out of all the games played at this venue, only twice have teams not conformed to the toss advantage. In the remaining, teams winning the toss have emerged victorious. So, expect the toss to play a huge role in series-decider too.
Prediction:
India are riding high on confidence and it will take something special for them to come tumbling down from that. Unless Jos Buttler’s men do the extraordinary to dethrone the side, this game will also fall into the hosts’ kitty.
Where to Watch:
India: Star Sports
UK: TNT Sports
Pakistan: Tapmad
Australia: Kayo
US: Willow TV, Sling TV
