Of the four teams left, it is fair to say England are not favourites to win this T20 World Cup. Their semi-final opponents India are the hosts and reigning champions; South Africa are the tournament’s outstanding team so far with a paper-perfect T20 team; and even New Zealand – who lost to England in the super 8s – have a certain matchplay nous at the business end of these things.
Whereas England have mostly fumbled their way here. They struggled past Nepal and it wasn’t entirely smooth against Scotland or Italy either. Their opening partnership, between Phil Salt and Jos Buttler, averages 12 runs and lasts nine balls.
And yet, as the Indian camp prepares to face England, the image that comes to mind is of puzzled looks, furrowed brows and pens poised intently over blank notepads. How do you prepare for a team’s in-form batter at No 7? How do you lay traps for a captain whose wagon wheel covers every corner of the ground? How do you bowl at an opener whose hands appear to have detached from his body? In short, how do you beat this England?
Only one team has managed it so far, when West Indies clubbed 196 runs in the group stage and England failed to chase it down. Otherwise, they have always found a way to win, occasionally by the brilliance of Harry Brook or Tom Banton, usually via the finishing prowess of Will Jacks, the unlikely hero who has scooped four player-of-the-match awards, pickpocketing games opponents thought they’d zipped up. England might not be the best team left in the competition, but they are surely the most awkward to play against.
In many ways their journey in this tournament speaks to the nature of T20 cricket, a beguiling game that can slip away in a matter of minutes. New Zealand began the 18th over of their innings on 135-5, in control; England reached the same point lagging behind on 117-6. New Zealand petered out, England exploded.
That kind of smash-and-grab victory might not be so easy to come by against India in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, their spiritual home. Players who have faced India there talk about the entire frame of the stadium shaking before the match has begun, and the noise only gets louder when India get on top of their opponents. England’s job will be to drain the energy in the air.
It may require two or three batting performances, and this would be a timely moment for Buttler to find form. Five successive single-figure scores tell the story of a great player looking lost at the crease, desperate to sync his disconnected technique. He will retain his place whatever the weather, of course, and it was telling that a defensive Brook memorised Buttler’s career stats (“150 matches averaging 35 at a strike rate of 150”) before his post-match interview against New Zealand, like a politician rehearsing a line of inquiry they know is coming.
Brook has put a turbulent winter behind him, both with his batting – his century against Pakistan was mesmeric – and his captaincy, showing a newfound maturity in the way he articulates his answers and explains some of England’s tactical decisions. Brendon McCullum’s move to bump Brook up from No 5 to No 3 has given England’s captain scope to have a telling impact on every game.
They face a formidable task toppling India, whose batting lineup is full of power and whose bowling attack is led by Jasprit Bumrah. England will sense that they can attack elsewhere, but they will also need an edge in the field and running between the wickets to reach the final.
Because this is another truth of T20 cricket, which is so often a game of fine margins. India’s fielding has been mixed at its best, dreadful at its worst, most notably against the West Indies when they handled the ball with all the care of a live explosive. England have proved more proficient in the field and quick between the wickets. Look after the ones and twos and the boundaries tend to take care of themselves.
And so a close match should not be one for England to fear. India have a home crowd to push them through to the final. But this England team seem to have figured out how to win when it gets tight, when they need a match-winning knock. England must handle the intimidating atmosphere of the Wankhede, the brilliance of Suryakumar Yadav, the mastery of the great Bumrah. India must stop, erm, Will Jacks.
It has been a strange tournament. England are in the semi-finals, and the odd part is that we’re still not sure if they’re any good.
