That India is a miracle in itself has been described by historians and explorers for centuries. In its plurality lies its greatest strength. Perhaps nothing else unites the nation more than the Indian cricket team and as the Men in Blue gear up for one of the biggest contests in international cricket- the semifinals of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022, more than a billion wait with bated breath for a positive result.
It is India vs England in the semifinals at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday. India's campaign has had its scars and loopholes but much like the Australians of the late 1990s and the early 2000s, this team has found a way to come back on top every time they looked down and the match looked to be slipping away. England too look like a pale shadow of the world-beating force they were appearing to be up till recently. Their bowlers can go for plenty and they have had batting collapses too. But then too they have made it to the semis where both teams would know that the margin of errors would be minimal.
The Men in Blue have faced England thrice in the knockout stage of a World event and while India emerged victorious in the 1983 ODI World Cup semifinal and the 2013 Champions Trophy final, the Three Lions won in the 1987 World Cup semis.
As India look to secure a place in the finals, they have the same opponent against them whom they had defeated to claim their last ICC trophy.
Is that a sign of things to come? The Indian fans are saying a loud and emphatic YES. As the team management and captain decides the Playing 11 for this knockout fixture, here is a look at the team's probable Playing XI for this match.
Batters
Rohit Sharma as the captain picks himself. While he hasn't really set the tournament on fire, one would expect him to score heavily in the knockout stage of the tournament. His opening partner will be KL Rahul who has scored two back-to-back fifties after a string of low scores in the first three matches.
Virat Kohli is the glue of this batting order and he will take the number 3 position. Kohli has already played a few memorable knocks in the tournament and Indian fans are hoping for two more of those from his bat. Suryakumar Yadav is the other batter who has taken the World Cricket by storm through his blistering innings and would want to continue his form as India sense history in the making.
Wicketkeeper
Rishabh Pant is likely to be the wicketkeeper for this game. This could be a tough call to make but with Pant given a chance right before the semifinals, it could be a hint that the management was preparing him for the England game in Adelaide where the square boundaries are short and a left-handed batter might be needed to break the shackles against leg-spinner Adil Rashid. Dinesh Karthik might have to sit out for this match.
All-rounders
Hardik Pandya is the most crucial all-rounder given he provides a seam-bowling option and is more than handy with the bat. He played a vital innings against Pakistan in the tournament opener and has been amongst the wickets too. If need arises, he would have to play a blistering finisher's role, especially with no Karthik in this XI and Pant expected to be included as a floater.
Axar Patel will also find a place in the team. He has looked ordinary with the ball but provides a left-arm spin option to the captain and depth in the batting order. R Ashwin with his off-spin and ability to chip in with some useful runs lower down the order has made him the preferred option over someone like Yuzvendra Chahal. He should be able to retain his place in the team.
Bowlers
The pace bowling trio of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Shami would not be tampered with. In fact, as far as the seamers are concerned, India have been one of the better teams in this tournament. It is just that the spinners haven't been as effective as India would have liked. But with Ashwin taking 3 wickets in the match against Zimbabwe, one would expect a better show from the spin department in the crunch game against England.
