Team India clash with England in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Thursday at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. It is a repeat of the 2022 last four-stage match in Adelaide which Jos Buttler and his men won by 10 wickets. Revenge will be the minds of the Indians after the humiliation at the hands of England in the 2022 editionHowever, things are different this time as India have looked utterly dominant in the tournament so far while England have blown hot and cold. Former all-rounder Paul Collingwood also belives England will have to come up with an extraordinary performance to beat an in-form India in the T20 World Cup semifinal. Collingwood feels that the ‘Men in Blue’ are unlikely to lose the grudge match against the defending champions.
“Honestly, I can’t see India losing this time. England will need something extraordinary to beat them,” Collingwood said on Star Sports Press Room.
Jasprit Bumrah has been in sensational form with teams including the likes of former champions Australia and Pakistan struggling to score against him. Collingwood reckons the pacer’s four overs would decide the complexion of the game.
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“India, with their well-rounded squad, stands out particularly for Jasprit Bumrah‘s current form. He’s fit, accurate, fast, and highly skilled. No team seems to have an answer for him, “In a 120-ball game, having someone like Bumrah with his pace for 24 balls makes a huge difference. India has looked confident even in tough situations and on difficult pitches in America.
“Their batters, like Rohit Sharma who played a magnificent innings against Australia, seem to be back in form,” he added.
The pitch in Guyana has favoured the bowlers in the past by slowing down as the game goes on.
Spinners have dominated at this venue, and the pacers get some help early on but teams have reached scores of 170-180 in the ongoing World Cup.
“The match-up will be magnificent, with both sides adopting an ultra-aggressive approach. The surface in Guyana will be crucial. On a flat pitch, England has the upper hand with their ability to overpower teams. However, a slow, turning pitch would favour India.”
India have changed’
Collingwood feels India have moved on from their conservative approach, which led to their downfall at the 2022 edition.
“The previous plan was to attack India aggressively from the start. However, a team like India can’t be surprised by that tactic. In 2022, when India batted first, we knew we could restrict them. Back then, India played conservatively, especially in the first 10 overs, and then tried to catch up later.