Eng v SA World T20 Preview: AB threat looms large over England in a key encounter

Having received a lesson in T20 batting from Chris Gayle in their opening encounter, England will need to deal with another maverick named AB de Villiers on Friday. The manner in which the West Indian made light work of a challenging total has left the England camp shell shocked and they will need to get their act together in a short span of time as if they are to keep their semi-final hopes alive. England batted reasonably well however their bowling looked ordinary and needs to step-up against a formidable South African side whom they met recently in an away series.

England:

England made a crucial selection blunder against West Indies by leaving put fast bowler Liam Plunkett. The right-arm pacer has proved his wicket-taking ability against Pakistan in UAE and bowled two hostile spells on flat surfaces. His ability to bowl sharp bouncers could have also been handy against Chris Gaye and co. One of either left-arm quicks, Reece Topley or David Willey, is likely to make way for Plunkett in the game against South Africa.

England skipper Eoin Morgan reckoned that he would have liked a total 200 against the Windies and this may be the case against SA as well if England bats first. Due factor did play a part on Wednesday evening and is expected to do the same tomorrow evening as well. The English are likely to stick to the same arsenal in the batting department as they seek another big performance with the bat.

South Africa:

In the past, fans, media and cricket experts around the world have labelled South Africa as favourites ahead of any ICC event. The team has failed to live up to the expectations and been labelled as chokers on many occasions. This time, there isn’t much hype about South Africa’s chances in the World T20 and the team should benefit from this by playing freely. Still, they go into the tourney under the radar, especially because they still have questions about the team composition.

In their line-up, the Proteas are trying to make room for all of AB de Villiers, Quinton de Kock and Hashim Amla without sacrificing anyone in the middle order. In their attack, they are choosing between a fit-again Dale Steyn and the bowlers who have played in his absence, including Kyle Abbott and Chris Morris. At just 20-years-old, Kagiso Rabada has impressed with his accuracy, aggression and astute thinking, making him South Africa’s go-to man in the marquee event. His ability to execute under pressure makes him a vital cog in the bowling department and he will be relied upon heavily upon.

Pitch and Conditions:

Dew is again expected to play a vital role in Mumbai in the later part of the evening as witnessed in the previous match. The captain that wins the toss will want to bowl first on the batting paradise at Wankhede that makes defending a herculean task. Both teams will back their strong batting unit to fire and make a huge impact on the outcome of the game.

Form Guide: (Last five completed games most recent first)

England LLLWW

South Africa LLWWW

Probable XI-

England:  Alex Hales, Jason Roy, Joe Root, Eoin Morgan (capt), Jos Buttler (wk), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Liam Plunkett, Reece Topley/David Willey, Chris Jordan.

South Africa:  Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), Faf du Plessis (capt), AB de Villiers, David Miller, JP Duminy, Dale Steyn, David Wiese, Kagiso Rabada, Chris Morris/ Kyle Abbott, Imran Tahir.

Stats:

1. South Africa has played 17 T20Is between the last World T20, which ended on April 6, 2014, and this tournament. Among the eight teams who automatically qualify for the main draw, only Pakistan have played more T20 matches – 20 – in that period, with India also playing 17.

2. Faf du Plessis needs 5 more runs to complete 1000 T20I runs.

3. South Africa has won 7 and lost just 3 T20Is against England.