‘India vs England Will Be Humdinger’: Sunil Gavaskar On T20 World Cup Semi-Final At Wankhede Stadium

IND vs ENG T20 World Cup Semi-Final: The legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar gave his expert opinion on the T20 World Cup semifinal between India and England, stating that the much-anticipated clash will be "a humdinger" with the hosts holding a slight edge, boosting their batting depth.

Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium will host the heavyweights, reigning champions India and two-time champions England, in a repeat of the semifinal matches in the 2022 and 2024 editions, on Thursday.

In the 2022 edition, England conquered India by 10 wickets at Adelaide and in a flip of the tale, Rohit Sharma's team savoured a sweet taste of title victory two years later at Providence, West Indies.

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"Both sides are very well-matched. They have got batting and bowling. They have got middle-order and, you know, the finisher. Both teams have variety in their bowling," Gavaskar told select media as quoted by PTI.

"England have got a few players who have played in the IPL, who are familiar with Indian conditions, familiar with the pressure of playing a knockout. So, I think it is going to be a humdinger," he added.

Gavaskar also stated that the presence of a hard-to-read pace ace Jasprit Bumrah will play a crucial factor for the Men in Blue in the semis. The former India captain said pace talisman Bumrah and Three Lions in-form batter Harry Brook will play a massive role in shaping the outcome of the semi-final.

"I do believe that he (Bumrah) should be bowling at least two overs in the powerplay because as a new-ball bowler, if he can get those early wickets... Jos Buttler, Phil Salt and Harry Brook, he will have pretty much broken the back of the England batting," the former captain explained.

"So, his coming in to bowl the fifth over, when four overs have already been bowled, and the batters have got about 20 deliveries, means that both batters have got about 8-10 deliveries to settle in. So, wouldn't it be better then for Bumrah and for India if Bumrah were to bowl to them first and get them out?" he wondered.

What Makes Jasprit Bumrah A Devastating Bowler Across Formats

Gavaskar pointed out that the star pacer’s ability to be an enigma as a major factor makes him a devastating bowler across formats.

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"If you have read Andre Agassi's autobiography (Open), how did he pick up where Boris Becker was going to serve? He wasn't able to pick his serve the first few times, and then he realised that if he had his tongue on the left as he tossed the ball up, then he would be serving wide. If he had his tongue on the right, then he would be serving on the centre line,” Gavaskar said.