On Thursday night at the Adelaide Oval, India and England will face off in a T20 World Cup semi-final: who will advance to the final?
Second semi-final of the T20 World Cup
England vs. India
India and England will face off in the second T20 World Cup semi-final on Thursday. The winner advances to the final at the MCG on Sunday night, while the loser returns home.
India is the deserved $1.80 favorite for this match, while England, who has been working their way into the tournament, is $2.00.
What We’Re Looking For
- India has won six of the nine T20 internationals between the two teams since the start of 2021.
- With 246 runs, Virat Kohli is the World Cup’s leading run scorer.
- With 125 runs, Alex Hales is England’s best batter and ranks 22nd in the tournament.
- Both Sam Curran and Arshdeep Singh have 10 wickets in the tournament.
- England has a 5-12 record in ‘white ball’ internationals in Adelaide (1 NR)
The ‘Home’ Benefit
Throughout the tournament, we’ve seen crowds flock to support India in such a loud and vociferous manner that it feels like an away game for anyone who comes up against them.
Then, if Virat Kohli gets going, the crowd goes into overdrive, and the opposition struggles to hear themselves think, such is the ‘King’s’ pull.
Just look at the final stages of India’s batting innings against Zimbabwe on Sunday: the crowd was so overwhelmingly in favour of India that you could be forgiven for thinking the game was being played in Mumbai rather than Melbourne.
Throughout the tournament, India has relied on the support of their cricket-crazed fanbase, and it has undoubtedly helped them. It will be amazing to see the Indian fans square off against the Barmy Army on Thursday night.
Read on: Why Choose OKBET Sportsbook for ICC T20 World Cup Betting Tips?
Get Started On A Flyer
Importantly for England, openers Jos Buttler and Alex Hales have been in excellent form over the last two games, with partnerships of 81 and 75 to begin England’s innings. Those knocks have really laid the groundwork for England’s last two victories.
Neither of these two supremely experienced T20 players will be intimidated by the occasion: if anything, the high stakes of this semi-final should bring out the best in both and pump them up.
If Buttler and Hales get off to a fast start, they can win the game for England within the first 10 overs.
England: $1.90 for the most runs in the first six overs (via OKBET)
The Deepness Of India
When we think of top T20 cricket run scorers, we think of openers. With KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma to start their innings, India has some of the best in the world, but they haven’t been in the best form all tournament, leaving Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav to lead the charge.
That’s the scary thing about India: even if Rahul and Sharma get off to a fast start, there’s still Kohli and Yadav to come. Not ideal for England and their shaky bowling lineup.
Top India Batsman Suryakumar Yadav: $4.33 (via OKBET)
Who Does The Occasion Affect?
With no disrespect to either team, despite playing some incredible cricket in this tournament, both have a history of failing when the pressure is on.
India’s recent record against England (6-3 since the start of 2021) will give them some confidence, but they haven’t played in a white ball tournament final since 2014.
In fact, despite their talent and hype, they haven’t won a tournament since 2011, when they hosted the Cricket World Cup.
England’s most recent World Cup victory came in a thrilling final against New Zealand in 2019. Prior to that, they reached the T20 World Cup final in 2016 but lost.
When both teams are at their best in this tournament, they play fantastic cricket. When they’re at their worst? We only need to look back to when England lost to Ireland to see what the worst case scenario is.
Who Makes It Happen?
Given their overall form, India has to be the favorite. Kohli can’t stop scoring runs, and Suryakumar Yadav, who scored one of the wildest 50s ever seen in cricket against Zimbabwe on Sunday night, can’t either.
Their bowling attack, led by Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, will cause enough problems for England to win.
THE WINNER: INDIA: $1.80 (via bet365)
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