India and England are gearing up to meet at the semi-final hurdle of the T20 World Cup for the third consecutive time since 2022 in Mumbai on Sunday.
With England peaking at the right time and India suffering a few batting wobbles along the way, the clash at the Wankhede Stadium will likely start on level terms with a few interesting sub-plots. England speedster Jofra Archer will hope to make Sanju Samson’s life harder at the top, as he did last year in a five-match series in India. Meanwhile, England captain Harry Brook will go up against the menacing Jasprit Bumrah too. However, former India all-rounder R Ashwin has picked another interesting middle-overs battler as the key mini-contest within the big match.
Ashwin has called India captain Suryakumar Yadav’s spin test against England veteran Adil Rashid as the most important battle for India.
“Surya will be a very crucial point against this England bowling. Adil Rashid is bowling very slowly. You will have to sweep him and the batter who can do it is Surya. This is one match-up I am looking forward to,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.
“If I were in Surya’s shoes, I would not be worried at all. I am the captain of the team. There is nothing to be worried. It’s okay that the form is a little bit here and there. I know in two-three games he has not scored but the best way to do it is to stay ahead of the game. He needs to think tactically. I am sure he would have done his homework. I think he should go with a blank and clear mind. I don’t see concerns with his batting at all,” remarked Ashwin.
Rashid vs Suryakumar T20I record
Suryakumar holds a healthy record against Rashid, striking at 176.66 with an average of 53 runs in five meetings. In the 2022 World Cup, Rashid headlined the semifinal against India by strangling Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli before foxing the marauding Suryakumar Yadav with a deceptive, dipping leg-break delivery.
