INDIA VS. ENGLAND: ENG’S TOUR OF IND 2021, 5th T20 | MATCH PREDICTION AND FANTASY CRICKET TIPS
Hosts India take on England in the final and deciding match of the 5-match T20 series at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Saturday evening.
This series between the top two teams of the T20 format has been going on like a boxing match. After England won two of the first three matches, India bounced back to register a fine victory in the last game to square things up in the series.
After being asked to bat first on a sticky wicket, S Yadav led the Indian batting effort, along with useful cameos from S Iyer and R Pant, to put up a challenging total of 185 runs. Defending the target, India’s bowlers put up a wonderful show even as dew set in and it became hard to grip the ball. H Pandya and R Chahar were brilliant with the ball but it was S Thakur’s two scalps in one over, where he took out both B Stokes and E Morgan, that turned the game in India’s favor.
England would have won the last game if it weren’t for a mini-collapse that took the game away from them. Although Malan’s streak of poor scores will be a concern for the team, they would still be happy that B Stokes got some crucial runs under his belt and opener J Roy continued to shine. England’s bowling has been mighty impressive in the series, with J Archer and M Wood excelling once again in the last game with their pace and bounce. This well-settled bowling unit knows how to utilize these conditions perfectly.
With the series see-sawing between these two heavyweights so far, this final match on Saturday promises to be an exciting one as neither team holds a clear advantage over the game.
Match Details
- Match: India vs. England, 5th T20
- Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad
- Date & Time: Mar. 20, 2020, at 7 PM IST
Probable Playing XI
India
L Rahul, R Sharma, S Yadav, V Kohli (C), R Pant (WK), S Iyer, H Pandya, W Sundar, S Thakur, R Chahar, B Kumar
England
J Roy, J Buttler (WK), D Malan, J Bairstow, E Morgan (C), B Stokes, S Curran, A Rashid, J Archer, C Jordan, M Wood
Weather and Pitch Report
The weather is expected to be clear during the match. The temperature will be around 32 degrees during the game.
The pitch at the Narendra Modi Stadium used for the fourth game was the best one of the series so far. It was good for batting early on and offered some bounce and movement for the seam bowlers. Spinners also found some help from the track initially but struggled in the later stages of the last game. The average first innings score in the four matches played here has been 157 runs.
As dew sets in during the second innings, bowling will become tough and the ball will skid off the surface. So expect the captain winning the toss to opt to chase here. The team batting first will have to put up a total of around 180-190 runs to be in a comfortable position.
Key Players
- R Sharma has played two games in the series so far. Apart from a few clean shots, he looked a little scratchy in both the innings, scoring just 27 runs. He has been brilliant for India at the top of the order and will be key against the pace threat of England, especially in the first six overs.
- S Yadav slammed a brilliant half century in his maiden international innings. He scored 57 runs off 31 balls, with 6 boundaries and 3 sixes, including an incredible first-ball six. His innings kept the momentum going for India throughout the match.
- S Thakur is having an all-or-nothing kind of a series, picking up wickets in the second and fourth match while going wicketless in the other two games. He was brilliant in the last game, picking up 3 wickets at crucial times and turning the game in India’s favor.
- J Buttler can take apart the best of bowling attacks on his day, which he showed in the third game of the series. He has not contributed much in the series overall, barring the 83-run knock. He will look to repeat that performance and clinch the series for his team here.
- D Malan is having a disappointing series so far, scoring just 80 runs in four innings at an average of 26.6. He is the current No.1 batsman in this format due to his consistency and the team will be well placed if can bring his best game in this series decider.
- M Wood has been fast and accurate with his bowling in the series so far. He is the second-highest wicket taker, with 5 wickets at an average of 15.2 and an economy of 6.33. His hostile speed has been the point of difference between the teams in the previous games.
Howzat Dream Team
- Wicketkeepers: J Buttler, J Bairstow
- Batsmen: R Sharma, S Yadav, D Malan
- All-rounders: B Stokes, H Pandya
- Bowlers: Y Chahal, S Thakur, M Wood, A Rashid
- Captain: J Buttler/B Stokes
- Vice Captain: R Sharma/H Pandya
NOTE: The Howzat dream team above is just a suggestion. You can make today's fantasy prediction and play fantasy cricket matches. Also, don’t forget to make any necessary changes to your team once the actual playing 11 is announced by each team (30 minutes before the start of the match) as some players you have selected might not be part of the team suggested.
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