MUMBAI: The shadow of the Vijay Merchant Pavilion at the Wankhede Stadium was now falling over the centre pitch. Even before the first ball was bowled, the strip in the middle turned into a central character in an intense drama of cricket that would unfold on Thursday. The Mumbai Cricket Association has done a fair bit of watering and rolling. The pitch will also hold the key to the final of the T20 World Cup in Ahmedabad on Sunday. But before that the big semifinal between India and England.
It was just past 5 PM on Wednesday, and England captain Harry Brook, in a training kit and a jumper, was walking along periphery of the surface. As he crossed the pitch, Brook seemed to have felt the heat, literally, as he removed the jumper before going to the other side of the pitch. This may be the same pitch England played against the West Indies earlier, and the same venue India played USA on February 8, but conditions in the city have changed drastically. The temperature has already reached close to 40 degree celsius.
England are not alone. Even India are feeling the heat. After all, it is a home T20 World Cup semifinal. There is fair bit of anxiety associated with it for the both the teams. Past record only reinforces the state the teams are in.
India versus England – the two teams consistently pushed boundaries, especially in white-ball cricket in the past decade. Take for instance the 2022 and 2024 T20 WCs. These two have gone up against each other, reinvented themselves and came back stronger. India did that between 2022 and 2024, and England have done that in style so far in the ongoing tournament.
In many ways, Brook’s men are perhaps the toughest challenge Suryakumar Yadav’s side could have drawn in a semifinal. England bat till No 10. Will Jacks is in the form of his life. Brook has been easily one of the best captains tactically in this WC. Then they have the variety in bowling attack — Jofra Archer to Sam Curran to Adil Rashid to Jamie Overton — for any match-up needed. They have thrived in Mumbai, Kolkata and Sri Lanka on their way to this semifinal.
India, on the other hand, came in as the team to beat but went down to South Africa. They still have the most dynamic attack, depth and explosive batters who can turn a game very quickly. Both teams also have coaches — Gautam Gambhir and Brendon McCullum — who draw polarising opinions and at times, overshadow their captains.
However, they both have their issues as well. Which is why, this could be a contest where the one who comes out on top tactically is likely to prevail. Perhaps it's here where Brook has a slight edge. Since taking over the white-ball side, Brook, despite the off-field controversies and Test debacles, has emerged as an astute skipper and it was evident during this World Cup.
Brook, who jokingly admitted he was not great at reading pitches, spends a fair bit of time preparing for an opponent. “Yeah, we obviously get a lot of stats. We have got a lot of videos. We can see where the batters are trying to hit the ball. We know the wagon wheels and whatnot. We know the match-ups. It's just about trying to fiddle the ball to make sure that it's uncomfortable for their batters for as long as possible, really. They're obviously a very good side, and they can adapt to different bowlers. My job is to try and make it as uncomfortable for them as possible,” Brook broke it down on Wednesday.
It is no wonder India bowling coach Morne Morkel called this England side “street smart”. “There's a lot of quality in their side, batting quite deep, which makes them a very dangerous side. With the ball, they have got a bit of wicket-taking options. I think the way they approach a T20 game, fearless, trying to take the game on, will give you opportunities and make them a dangerous side. I feel tomorrow is going to be a good shootout between two aggressive teams. The side that can hold their nerves and play the conditions and read some of the conditions quite well and are the quickest, I reckon will come out on top,” Morkel explained.
The one other common bond between the two is that they both have a lot to lose. The defending champions not entering the final at home will add pressure on Surya and Gambhir. Similarly, Brook and McCullum, may have survived the troubles they had in New Zealand and Australia, but this is their chance to redeem themselves. Only one of team will have the last laugh. But like Brook said, the semis is as good as it gets.