Published By: Rohit Chatterjee

IND vs. ENG T20I: Four Batters Who Must Step up for England to Alter the Series Result

While the Indian T20I squad has started the year with a bang, England has had a bleak beginning

The Men in Blue have triumphed in their first and second T20I games of the year and are hoping to win the third to secure the series. For England, only captain Jos Buttler has clicked in both matches, whereas the rest of the batting line-up, especially the top order, has simply faltered.

If England wishes to alter the series outcome, which is currently in India’s favour, the entire batting line-up needs to improve. However, four batters in particular must churn runs on the evening of January 28 if they wish to save England an embarrassment.

Phil Salt

Phil Salt has made a name for himself in India, given his bombastic batting, which often grabs the Indian media’s headlines during the Indian Premier League. Salt is well aware of the Indian conditions as well, but unfortunately, in the first game, he went back to the crease for a duck in three balls, whereas in the second game, he managed only three runs in four deliveries.

Ben Duckett

Ben Duckett has also been an underperformer in the series so far, having scored four runs in four balls in the first match. The second game saw him playing six deliveries, but he managed only three runs, following which he lost his wicket at the hands of Washington Sundar and departed from the ground.

Harry Brook

Unlike the above-mentioned two hitters, Harry Brook at least managed to reach the double-digit figure in both matches, but his contributions weren’t enough to keep England afloat against the quality tide of the Indian bowlers and fielders. In the first match, Brook scored 17 runs off 14 balls, whereas in the second, he added 13 in eight balls. On both occasions, Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed him.

Liam Livingstone

Another English hitter who failed in the first T20I game was Liam Livingstone. Despite knowing the Indian conditions, Livingstone has not lived up to the English expectations, getting out for a duck in the first match while adding only 13 runs in 14 balls.

England’s changes

To make a comeback, England made several changes in the middle and lower order, which saw the team put on some decent runs in the second game even though the match ended in India’s favour. While the changes have somewhat worked, it is the top order, comprising the above-mentioned players, who need to put on a show in the remaining three games if England has to win the series.

The third match begins at 7:00 PM on January 28 on the expected batter-friendly pitch of the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot.