After winning the series clincher on Friday, India is all geared up to play England in the fifth T20I at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai this Sunday. The previous game was marred by a controversial substitution, but India remains focused on the task ahead.
Controversy Over Concussion Substitute
Drama erupted in the fourth T20I as Harshit Rana replaced Shivam Dube as a concussion substitute. And, Harshit Rana did get off the mark immediately as he sent back Liam Livingstone off only his second delivery, but the move has drawn criticism in the England camp where some feel it wasn’t a like-for-like swap, and Dube has now cleared concussion protocols and is available for selection in the fifth T20I.
India Dominates Fourth T20I
Hardik Pandya (53) and Shivam Dube (53) scored their half-centuries which lead India to 181/9 in 20 overs. Three wickets for Saqib Mahmood and two more by Jamie Overton helped them England.
England failed to answer back and was dismissed for 166 in 19.4 overs. Again, half of the game was stretched due to Harry Brook, who scored 51, but India’s bowling was outstanding with Ravi Bishnoi and Harshit Rana getting six wickets in total that led to the Indian victory.
Opening Pair And Batting Order
Sanju Samson is likely to open the batting along with Abhishek Sharma in the upcoming fifth T20I. However, Samson has failed to rediscover his form, scoring just one run off three balls in the last game. In contrast, Abhishek Sharma has batted impressively in all the games so far, becoming the highest run scorer with 144 runs at a whopping strike rate of 197.26, including 17 fours and nine sixes.
Middle Order And Key Players
India’s middle order is going to have Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav, who got dismissed for ducks in the fourth T20I. They are most likely to hold their positions even though they haven’t performed well. It will be interesting to see Tilak bat at No. 3 and Suryakumar at No. 4.
Rinku Singh, who made a crucial cameo of 30 runs off 26 balls in the last match, is likely to continue at No. 5. Dube and Pandya, who were the stars of the show, will follow. Dube has also been declared Player of the Match for his rapid 53 off 34 balls.
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Lower Order And All-rounders
Axar Patel will be at No. 7 following the top-order batter, though he himself could only make a modest contribution of five runs in the previous game. The all-rounder is essential for India still.
The tailenders Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, and Varun Chakravarthy will make a strong bowling lineup, as India hope to carry forward their winning momentum in the series.
India’s Predicted Playing XI
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy
