India’s experienced pacer Robin Singh is confident of India’s strong bowling line-up giving them the edge over England in the second semi-final of the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup to be played at the Providence Stadium in Georgetown, Guyana on Thursday. This match is a repeat of the 2022 semi-final that was won by England.
Singh claims that India is ideally placed due to their current form and unbeaten run in batting and bowling departments respectively. The journey to semis has not been easy for England, however, as they have had to contend with rain and unpredictability.
“I still think India has an upper hand on this venue. The bowling combination that India possesses actually would suit this venue much more than England. Jofra Archer and Adil Rashid are key players for England potentially. I reckon if India can manage those two men then we can make some progress against this English attack,” Singh said during an exclusive interview with IANS. Talking about Indian fast bowlers’ depth and versatility especially spin trio of Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja.
“From an Indian perspective, I think they’ve got most bases covered. So you know, their spinners have bowled well; they have really good attacking bowlers in between with Kuldeep Yadav doing really well. The other two spinners (Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja) have been quite consistent,” he explained.
The premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah too has been influential according to Singh.He also spoke about Bumrah being versatile.
“Of course, you have the Bumrah factor, as he’s someone who can bowl at any stage of the game. So that’s going to be another key component apart from other fast bowlers who stood up there too. So it’s going to be fun actually.”
Their win over Australia by 24 runs shows how well their spinners have performed as a unit with 3-45 between them. This is also evident in Kuldeep Yadav’s inclusion for the Super Eights after being initially left. Out of the eleven to play Group A games because of fast bowlers’ conditions; he has so far taken 7 wickets from 3 matches.
Singh stressed on the importance of the whole bowling group working together.
“It’s not just about one bowler, but it’s about having a combination of bowlers who can put pressure on the batsmen that allows the other bowler to actually maximize. At the end of the day, it’s a collective effort, and it doesn’t matter who gets wickets, right? But it’s important as a team to strangle opponents.”
Arshdeep Singh had matched Jasprit Bumrah pound for pound with 15 wickets and economy rate was 4.08 throughout the tournament as India storm into semi-finals. “Bumrah has made a massive difference already and that goes without saying. So what is important is to understand that the conditions are very different to what it was in 2022. I think India has got everything they need and they have got better players adapted for this kind of condition than England does,” added Robin Singh.
All eyes will be on India’s versatile bowling attack against England’s strong batting lineup during this must-win match as both teams look forward to secure their place in final stage.
