India have beaten England in the Test matches and the ODIs and on Thursday they will begin their quest to beat them in the T20 series too when the two sides meet for the first of three T20 matches in Kanpur.
England may not have won the ODI series but they will know there wasn’t a lot in it and will also know this is their best format of the two so they will quietly fancy their chances. Whoever takes this match will go one up with two to play.
India
One of the problems India have in this format of the game is there is nobody they can pick who isn’t known now. All of their talented players go into the Indian Premier League which is broadcast worldwide and the strengths and weaknesses of those players are easier to work out. The other issue they have is the emphasis on entertainment which means wickets don’t suit them as much in this format as they did say in the Tests.
We know what to expect from this Indian side. They will be power packed with the bat but they will be light and hittable with the ball and it is the latter they need to over perform if they are to comfortably win this match. If someone can break out with a stunning spell India should win the game.
England
England have become a really effective unit in this format of the game and while they didn’t win the World T20 in India last year they did everything but do that and if they can produce those sorts of performances again they will have every chance in this series.
The outcome of both this match and this series from an England point of view will be determined by how they bowl especially at the death. We’ve seen the likes of Chris Jordan be brilliant at the death but then we’ve seen others go the distance. If they finish both innings well they will give themselves a strong chance of winning the match.
Team News
India have decided to give Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja the series off as they prepare for the upcoming Test matches. Suresh Raina comes in from the wilderness and looks set to bat at three. Amit Mishra will play.
England will be without David Willey for this one as he injured himself in the final ODI. Tymal Mills and Chris Jordan have flown in from the Big Bash and both look set to start. Adil Rashid and Liam Plunkett could be fighting for one spot. Sam Billings will open in Alex Hales’ place.
Betting
Once again the chasing side is going to have a massive advantage here. The advantage will be negated somewhat by the early start but I expect the chasing sides to dominate this series. That will be the case even more at the end of the series when the matches begin later and the dew is a factor but this is a small ground and hard to defend.
With India playing a second string bowling attack, at least in terms of their spinners, England’s batsmen won’t have the pressure on them that they might have done but their bowlers will against this powerful Indian batting line up.
That should all look good for the sixes to continue to flow just like they did in the ODI series. The sixes line for this one is 13.5 which is probably a couple short on a flat wicket and a tiny ground.
Tips
Back Over 13.5 sixes for a 5/10 stake at 1.75 with Coral
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