IND vs ENG: "Advantage India" - AB de Villiers Believes Adelaide Will Suit The Men In Blue During ICC T20 World Cup Semi-final

Ahead of Thursday’s second semi-final of the 2017 T20 World Cup, former South African cricketer AB de Villiers predicted that India would have an advantage over England in Adelaide. 

De Villiers claimed India held the advantage in the matchup because of the Adelaide pitch’s sluggishness and Virat Kohli’s successful track record there. 

It’s A Clash Of Batting Units: AB de Villiers

“It is a clash of batting units. They are playing in Adelaide which suits India. Advantage India. It is a slowish deck. Virat has scored runs here,” said the former batter while speaking on a show at Star Sports.  

He made a comparison between the English team and New Zealand and said that the English team was superior to the Kiwis. 

“England is slightly better than NZ. They have a lot of stars and know how to play as a team. I can think of their entire batting lineup being match-winners. Their bowling lineup might be an area where India can get on top,” expressed the South African.  

England Bowling Can Cause Harm: AB de Villiers

Although not the finest, English bowling can cause harm, according to the former Proteas skipper. 

“I do not think they have the best bowling attack in the tournament, but a very capable bowling attack. They are solid with Stokes, Woakes and Curran. There is nothing incredibly special, but they’re street-smart.

Adil can take wickets. I do believe India can take hold of English bowlers. But the English batting lineup can get hold of the Indian bowling lineup,” said de Villiers.  

The ICC T20 World Cup second semifinal match between India and England is scheduled to take place at Adelaide Oval on Thursday. 

India won four of their five Super 12 matches to finish first in their group during the Group Stage. The sole hiccup in Men in Blue’s otherwise flawless performances throughout the group stage was a loss to South Africa. 

Indian Team Looking Formidable

For the most part, Indian batters have been reliable. The line-up has been led by Virat Kohli (246 runs in five matches with three fifties) and Suryakumar Yadav (225 runs in five matches with three fifties). 

With two successive fifty-scores in his last two games, KL Rahul has improved his form and amassed 123 runs in five games. With only 89 runs coming off his willow in five games, Rohit Sharma has mostly been erratic, with his best total coming against the Netherlands (53 runs). 

To relieve some of the strain on the middle order, these two will need to perform at their absolute best. 

Mohammad Shami (6 wickets), Arshdeep Singh (10 wickets), and all of India’s frontline pacers, Bhuvneswar Kumar (4 wickets), have all been effective thus far. While all-rounder Hardik Pandya has not had much success with the bat, he and experienced spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has performed well with the ball (six and eight wickets, respectively). 

Men in Blue’s only bowling issue is Axar Patel, whose economy rate is over nine. If Yuzvendra Chahal is given a chance in the crucial semifinal, it would be exciting. 

Batting Depth Strength Of English Lions

The Super 12 season has been up and down for England. After defeating Afghanistan, their hopes of qualifying for the tournament diminished after a defeat to Ireland, and their match against Australia was called off. 

But they returned to the competition after winning games against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, and they will now face India.

The strength of England’s batting order, which goes all the way down to number 10, is depth. Power hitters like Jos Buttler, Alex Hales, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, and Harry Brook, who can strike bowlers from the first ball, are in their lineup. 

Despite not being initially given much praise, England’s bowling team has significantly improved. With 10, Sam Curran leads England in wickets taken, while Mark Wood has nine. Ben Stokes has also shown himself to be useful, taking five victims at a 5.90 per over economy rate. 

However, they do have some reservations, whether it is with the health of left-handed pitcher Dawid Malan, pacer Wood, or Chris Woakes’ play, who has been pricey throughout the competition. Spinners have also fallen short expectations. Adil Rashid has only claimed one wicket in four games despite being a miserly bowler. 

Also Read:IND vs ENG: Suryakumar Yadav Maintains The Top Spot While Arshdeep Singh Climbs To A Career-high 23rd