2nd
In a replay of 2022 semifinal, India will take on England in the semifinal of World Cup 2024. While the former has been unbeaten in the tournament, the latter have thrashed oppositions whenever their backs were pushed against the walls.
Though India has been unbeaten, there are a few issues that need sorting out, especially the form of Virat Kohli.
It has been a silent tournament for him after a fruitful Indian Premier League campaign. The other concerning factor would be Ravindra Jadeja who is yet to make a significant contribution with bat or ball.
Guyana has been a wicket that has been conducive for spinners and India’s Kuldeep Yadav has made it a habit to pick wickets in the middle overs regularly in this tournament, hence given the conditions it will be a fascinating battle between the power-packed England line up and the Indian wrist-spinner.
Jos Buttler with his innings in the final group game against the USA has reminded everyone what he can do when he is full flow.
Also, he was the destruction in chief when India was thrashed by England in Adelaide. Hence his contribution might tilt the balance of the game.
The greatest enigma, however, is the Providence Stadium pitch - will it play true or be unpredictable? A brief glance at the numbers reveals intriguing details: the highest PowerPlay run rate is 6.4, in the middle overs it drops to 5.5, and in the death overs, it peaks at 7.6. The boundary percentage stands at approximately 50 percent for the World Cup matches here - all numbers pointing to a low-scoring contest.
Notably, it was on this ground that Afghanistan sensationally defeated New Zealand by 84 runs, restricting them to a mere 75 in a first round clash. The venue has not been kind to the favourites. But then, who really is the favourite in this last-four clash - the top-ranked India or the defending champions England?
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