India v England: Key battles ahead of the T20I series

RILEY TAYLOR explores some of the likely themes to watch out for ahead of the five-match T20I series between India and England

The Face-Off: Jos Buttler v Rishabh Pant

Two of the most explosive white-ball batsmen in the world will attempt to out-hit each other in the format that gave them both their international debuts.

Jos Buttler will go into the series as the fresher of the two after his rest from the England Test squad for the latter part of the recently concluded series, with Pant playing in all four games between the sides.

The Lancashire wicketkeeper is in good form in T20Is, scoring three fifties in his last seven outings, vindicating England’s decision to use him as an opener. Buttler will also be glad there is no Jasprit Bumrah to face; the Mumbai Indians bowler has dismissed him twice in three T20I meetings.

However, another subplot will be the battle between Buttler and Shardul Thakur – the Chennai Super Kings seamer has also dismissed him on two occasions, though both times in the Indian Premier League.

Unlike Buttler, who is expected to continue at the top for England, Pant will likely operate in the middle order or as a finisher for India. However, India’s depth in the batting department may mean he does not get much time in the middle; above him, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli make for a brutal top three.

Pant’s recent form in T20Is has been strangely underwhelming, however; his last half-century came against West Indies in 2019 and he has averaged just 18 since then.

Will England’s IPL experience pay off?

Unlike during the Test series, where many of England’s squad were short on knowhow in India, Eoin Morgan has a group at his disposal full of Indian Premier League experience.

Of the 16 players in the squad, nine played in the 2020 edition of the IPL, with another four of – Jason Roy, Sam Billings, Mark Wood and Liam Livingstone – having played in previous editions. Dawid Malan, the world’s top-ranked T20I batsman, will play in the competition for the first time this year.

Fast bowler Jofra Archer had a stellar tournament, picking up the MVP award at the end of a campaign that saw him take 20 wickets in 14 matches. Some did not fare as well; off-spinner Moeen Ali took just one wicket and scored 12 runs in three games for Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, the Worcestershire man was still able to pick up a £700,000 contract from Chennai Super Kings during February’s auction.

Even those who have not played in the IPL before will be familiar with the conditions on offer: Reece Topley and Adil Rashid were both part of the England T20 World Cup squad in India in 2016, with the latter also boasting a wealth of experience at international level.

^{Dawid Malan is the world's top-ranked T20I batsman}

Can India’s new boys fire?

Suryakumar Yadav, Rahul Tewatia and Ishan Kishan were stars of the most recent IPL and, as such, received their maiden call-ups to the national squad. Uncapped Varun Chakravarthy is another who will be looking to make his India debut after missing out on the tour of Australia through injury.

Yadav enjoyed his breakthrough year in 2018, where he not only surpassed 200 runs in a season for the first time but also went on to score 512 runs at an average of 36.57.

Since then, he has made 904 runs in 32 IPL innings, with 2020 his best season to date, racking up 480 runs in another title-winning year for Mumbai Indians. Kishan also showed his best form during the most recent season, with 516 runs in 14 outings, finishing with a staggering average of 57.33.

One of the biggest surprises to emerge from the 2020 season was Rajasthan Royals allrounder Tewatia. The leg-spinner may not have shone statistically with the ball, taking just 10 wickets at an average of 32.6 but it was his six-hitting form with the bat that shocked onlookers: 255 runs at an average of 42.5 has given India another option with the ball and depth in the batting department, typified by his remarkable match-winning half century early on in the competition against Kings XI Punjab.

With Mohammed Shami and Bumrah omitted, this may also open the door for T. Natarajan to establish himself in the white-ball side. He made his international bow in Australia after an IPL that saw him return 16 wickets. The Sunrisers Hyderabad bowler will not only offer another bowling option but also more variety as a left-armer.

Meanwhile, Chakravarthy will vie with Yuzvendra Chahal for a place, but his call-up is the next chapter in an amazing rise for the spinner.

^{Natarajan enjoyed a fine debut series in Australia}

Will England’s rotation policy be worth it?

The upcoming T20 series will no doubt be valuable preparation for the World Cup hosted in India in the coming months. And, as a by-product of England’s much-debated rotation policy through the Test series, Chris Silverwood’s stars should be fresh for the five matches ahead.

Buttler played only the first Test in Chennai, where England won by 227 runs, Jonny Bairstow was rested for the first two Tests but returned for the latter half, and Moeen featured just in the second Test before going home, albeit his departure could have been handled better.

Of course, the players have been rested more to manage workloads in these ever-changing times rather than to focus on a T20I series, but seven months out from a global tournament, it is an obvious benefit for Morgan to have time with the core of his squad.

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