AUSTRALIA: The Indian T20 squad, under the leadership of Rohit Sharma and the watchful eyes of Head Coach Rahul Dravid, has resurrected from the dismal performance of the team in the previous T20 World Cup.
The team endured mixed fortunes in their Asia cup campaign as the bowling unit became a cropper in the death overs. The fortunes flipped once the “Men in Blue” landed in Australia.
Arshdeep Singh and Suryakumar Yadav added freshness to the game, and Virat Kohli’s class returned to its former glory in the nick of time to keep the team afloat when the going got rough.
The Indian juggernaut will face England in the second semi-final at the Adelaide Oval. The knockout match between the two cricket heavyweights is touted to be an explosive encounter. This is the first time in 35 years that India and England will face each other in a knockout game.
The Adelaide Oval is a spectacle to behold. The grandstand of the Adelaide Oval is a subtle mix of modern amenities alongside older architecture.
Located north of the city centre of the Southern Australian capital, the stadium is a three-fourth modern style mega-structure with bulbous white canopies, while the other quarter is a grass embankment with an old analogue scoreboard.
India won its last major ICC Trophy in 2013. This win incidentally came against England in a rain-truncated 20-over match. Ravichandran Ashwin, who is a member of the current squad had bowled the match-winning delivery before then captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni erupted in a rare display of on-field celebrations.
The England team led by Jos Buttler will be eyeing a victory in the semi-final. A win in Thursday’s match will see the team feature in a third final in five consecutive ICC championships.
The fickle nature of the shortest format of the game provides an equal opportunity for both teams to grab bragging rights. With a chance to lead the points T20 Team’s rankings, the Indian and English squads know the importance of winning the fixture.
The sun has been shining in Adelaide these past few days, and while the city did get a few showers on the day before the semi-final, it is expected to be dry on game day. It is anticipated that the semi-final will be played on the pitch that was utilized for the games between Australia v/s Afghanistan and New Zealand v/s Ireland in the last week.
An interesting snippet ahead of the game is that in 11 men’s T20Is so far at the Adelaide Oval, no team has won the match after winning the toss.
Also Read: Rejuvenated Pakistan Drubs Hapless New Zealand to Reach the Final
