India vs. England 2021 : BOWLERS TO DOMINATE || 1st T20I
India vs. England 2021
1st T20I – Fri, 12th March
Hosts are Poised:
Meanwhile, Virat Kohli and men have a lot of cooking for thought, particularly with their batting squad. With a couple of places up for grabs, the Indian team management will want to come with a remedy without negotiating on a win in the series.
Though India won’t benefit from Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s come back will bring much-required experience and talent in the death overs. India may look to rest Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant, and Axar Patel at some point.
Possible playing XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Hardik Pandya, Rishabh Pant (WK), Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (C), Bhuvneshwar Kumar, and Navdeep Saini.
England is Not Underrated:
England enters the series after a remarkable performance in South Africa. With the right combination of youth and experience, the tourists start the series as the slight favourites, despite the hosts having a stellar record at home.
England has been criticised for, seemingly, highlighting the white-ball game at the forefront of the red. The interchange policy used in India and Sri Lanka has been about bubble exhaustion. Or, to put it more candidly, safeguarding players’ mental health. Yet England has a harvest of players who differ from raring to go to being utterly ruined. India, too. England, possibly, have benefit in the ice-cold captaincy of Eoin Morgan.
Possible playing XI: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (WK), Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes, Chris Jordan Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (C), and Reece Topley/Mark Wood.
The venue, Pitch Report, and Toss Prediction:
The first of five T20Is between India and England begins at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on 12th March Friday.
An even competition summons in Ahmedabad, as the average first-innings total in seven Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, matches this venue this time was 139 runs. The wicket is marginally on the slower side. So, the spin bowlers have essentially ruled the roost, but speedsters should get the ball to move under the lights.
However, a fresh wicket on offer could level the odds for the batters, who will need to limit their attacking impulses initially. Wickets in hand could be crucial, with the large size of the ground expected to benefit the bowlers.
Both sides should look to bat second under lights, with 165 runs probably a viable total.
England can Upset the Odds:
After a thumping Test series, India and England cross swords once again, albeit in the game’s smallest format. With a watch on the ICC T20 World Cup late this year, both sides will look to zero in on their best rosters for the marquee tournament.
Both sides look evenly complemented on paper, although England holds the advantage owing to their exceptional depth and stability. Nevertheless, India isn’t pushovers by any method and will also like their chances of beginning the series with a win.
With the test series win, the Indian squad will be poised, and the favoured home conditions put together makes them the favourites entering this game. India is at the odds of 1.60 while the guests are at 2.15. With both sides looking to start the series on a winning note, a fascinating contest could signal on Friday.
