12 Jun 2019
India kick off their tour of England this evening by facing the Three Lions in Manchester, for the first of three T20 fixtures.
Morgan and co. enter the fixture brimming with confidence after thumping Aussie rivals 5-0 in the ODIs, leaving them with no choice but to return home with their tails firmly between their legs.
With this in mind, England are expected to stick with their winning formula and field the same side that left the Aussies in disarray, therefore allowing them to keep up their winning mentality heading into tomorrow’s fixture. Get England to make it seven in a row and win here at 4/5.
The visitors have also been able to enjoy themselves recently on the pitch, coasting to a 2-0 series win against Ireland and winning seven of their last eight competitive matches. Kohli’s side are currently ranked 2nd in the T20 rankings only playing second fiddle to the formidable Pakistan.
India will also be filled with confidence coming into the fixture, although they have been known to falter away from home and don’t seem to thrive in English conditions.
The last times the sides met was in 2017, when they faced off in three ODIs and three T20 matches. It was India who came out on top - winning four of the six, however some of the cricket on display from both sides can only be described as underwhelming.
In the past, both teams have seemed to somewhat struggle against each other, with big named players not delivering the goods when it mattered. So below we have listed three key players who will be looking to prove a point this time out.
Alastair Cook
The last time India ventured to England back in 2014, Cook was in inspired form.
Since then, however, he has struggled to find consistency in his play and recently has only managed three half centuries in twenty-nine innings. The Essex man needs to find his misplaced form to try and get England off to a flyer.
Virat Kohli
Kohli is considered by many as the best batsman in the world, owing to his high scoring numbers for the national side.
Described as the team’s backbone, he has been putting in good numbers across the world, except for one crucial location… England. In five Tests he’s only managed 134 runs, averaging 23 in each match, a number which you wouldn’t associate with a man of his stature.
Get his fortune to change this time round, and be India’s top run scorer here at 5/2.
Cheteshwar Pujara
Pujara has a decent record when it comes to Test matches, averaging 50+. But against England, his drop in play is staggering, as he only averages 22. Whether he can improve on that in the shorter form of the game remains to be seen.
The no.3 batsman however has begun playing in England’s county league, so perhaps he will be able to show a better account of himself this time round. India are 5/4 to win the tie here.
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