Wickets across the board - England have picked up 56 wickets, the most by any side until the end of the Super 8 stage, with both spin and pace contributing almost equally. Adil Rashid and Liam Dawson have combined for 21 wickets between them, while Jofra Archer, after a relatively quiet start to the tournament, has found his rhythm with 10 wickets. Jamie Overton has chipped in with nine wickets and boasts the third-best economy rate among pacers who have played five matches or more up to the end of the Super 8s.
Holders with a point to prove - India have made it to their third consecutive T20 World Cup semifinal, and just like England, they are in search of a third title in the tournament's history. They topped Group A, but a crushing defeat in the Super 8 opener at the hands of South Africa left Suryakumar Yadav's men staring at the possibility of an early exit from a home tournament. With their campaign on the line, the defending champions responded with wins over Zimbabwe and the West Indies to pull through.
Individual brilliance, collective question - With the bat, different individuals have stepped up at various stages to make meaningful contributions. However, when no one rose to the occasion against South Africa, India were handed a heavy defeat. In the virtual quarterfinal against West Indies, it was Sanju Samson who delivered a match-winning knock for the Men in Blue. The number one-ranked T20I batter, Abhishek Sharma, carried India through much of the year leading up to the World Cup.
Yet the pressure of a home tournament, along with opposition teams appearing to have worked out plans against him, has limited his impact. That said, he will have fond memories of facing England at Wankhede, where he smashed a career-best 135 last year as India posted 247 and secured a 150-run victory.
Where the game could tilt - With the ball, India's spinners have taken 21 wickets, while the pacers have claimed 31. On paper, the returns look solid, but there are concerns. Hardik Pandya has the worst bowling average in the side, and the number one-ranked T20I bowler, Varun Chakaravarthy, has struggled in the last three games, conceding runs at 10.16 per over. That is where the issue lies for India.
If England manage to take down one of India's five frontline bowling options, as South Africa did by targeting Varun, the sixth option becomes Shivam Dube. He has been somewhat predictable with his wide line ploy and has not posed much of a threat when called upon.
Ye Hai Mohabbatein
Anupamaa
Dr Aarambhi
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