India’s biggest concern going into the series is the batting unit. The top order failed to cope with the seam-friendly conditions in Ireland, with Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and skipper Shreyas Iyer enduring a tough outing. Although Abhishek Sharma showed glimpses of his explosive ability with one 50 in the series, India will need much more consistency from their senior batsmen against England’s quality attack.
There is also a lot of excitement around 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, but assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has indicated that the youngster is unlikely to be rushed into the playing XI and will continue to take it easy in international cricket.
Meanwhile, England boasts one of the strongest T20 squads in world cricket. Harry Brook leads a squad full of proven winners, including Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, Will Jacks, Sam Curran and Adil Rashid. Their pace of attack could prove decisive in home conditions. Jofra Archer, Luke Wood, Saqib Mahmood and Sam Curran are all expected to take advantage of the movement on offer with the new ball, making India’s fragile top order their primary target.
Pitch report
The Riverside Ground has traditionally provided a balanced bat-to-ball contest, but fast bowlers have often enjoyed an advantage, especially during evening games when swing is available under the lights.
The venue has averaged a first innings score of around 138 in T20Is, suggesting that the batsmen will have to spend some time at the crease before playing their shots. Teams that win the powerplay battle are likely to gain a significant advantage.
India hold the overall advantage in T20Is between the two sides, winning 18 out of 30 matches, while England have registered 12 wins.
In England, however, the rivalry was far more even, with India only holding a 6-5 advantage, underscoring just how competitive the contests were on English soil.
