When and Where to Watch India vs England, Live Streaming, Match Preview, Timings, and Pitch Report for 2nd T20I

“I think it is England who will be the team to beat. They’re the No. 1 side [ICC T20I rankings] and the prime focus will be on them in this World Cup. All the other teams will be wary of the strengths that they bring on to the park… I say, it’s England who are the favorites [to win the T20I World Cup] and that will not change regardless of how they think”, is how the Indian skipper, Virat Kohli, responded to his English counterpart Eoin Morgan’s statement that India will be the “hot favorites” for winning the 20-over World Cup later this year.

On Friday, England somewhat proved Kohli’s lookout for the “strengths England bring on to the park” correct. In the hindsight, they won a good toss on a track that would prove tremendously two-paced. Not that it posed even the slightest of challenges for them to chase a modest 125 with 8 wickets in hands inside 16 overs, but so long as India’s lineup lasted, the track was seemingly two-paced.

That England is a robust bunch of individuals who have been traveling swiftly on the road of T20 excellence can be easily evidenced from where they rank. However, what makes England a slight bit more than a side that is just ranked number one is their incredible ability to pull off their plans – at times, even gambles – with such pinpoint precision. Friday’s was only one of the many incidents when England opted for an approach and made to pay it off neatly.

An astute Eoin Morgan decided to hand a hard, new ball to Adil Rashid, who has hardly ever been in the position of operating with a new ball in his entire career. Rashid employed his googlies straight away and stuck with nagging lines. Result? Only two from the first over. England brought in a fresh approach, mingling Rashid’s leg-spin with Archer’s express pace and the ploy paid rich dividends as Archer struck early, getting rid of KL Rahul immediately.

An uncharacteristic outing for Virat Kohli, before he holed out to mid-off while attempting to swat Adil Rashid in the following over to be dismissed for five-ball duck meant that India was reduced to 20/3, and thereafter, it was perennial catchup with Shreyas Iyer, who made 67 from 48, being the lone batsman to emerge out of the fog of poor application. Rishabh Pant, while he was in the middle, tried to the best of his ability to provide India’s innings the much-needed momentum, although it did not go his way.

India’s batting style, on Friday, clearly reflected the approach that the perpetual endorser of fearless cricket, Virat Kohli, was suggestive of on the eve of the match: Play without any baggage; attack right from the onset; not get bogged down under pressure even if the team has lost early wickets. It, therefore, was not a surprise when Kohli – known for building an innings before shifting to the top gear – himself went after Adil Rashid, that too as early as only five balls into his innings, despite India having lost their openers cheaply. While it did not work in India’s favor on the given day, it might not be a bad ploy to stick with, perhaps.

By skipper’s admission, India’s was a below-par performance with the bat and a case of failing to execute their plans. This has not been the first time India has started a series with a loss. Against a dominant England, a wounded eleven would be itching to make a comeback.

Pitch and conditions

After all the whining around the track during the Test series, England did exceedingly well to adapt to the conditions and exploit them to their advantage in the first game. There was not an apparent help for either pacers or spinners, however, a great deal of discipline and the bending backs of pacers proved enough for England to reap the rewards. Expect a similar track with moderate bounce and turn on offer.

Playing combination for IND vs ENG

India

A day after Virat Kohli confirmed Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul to be the first-choice openers, India opted to rest the former for the first two games, with Shikhar Dhawan holding that slot. The whether-or-not-he-will question around Hardik Pandya’s bowling was brought to a halt and India must be pleased by having their all-rounder back. India opted to play three spinners in the previous game, and while any massive chopping or changing looks unlikely, they might want to slot in a pacer.

Predicted XI: Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (C), Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Axar Patel Navdeep Saini/Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar

England

England skipper Morgan suggested that the conditions will become more conducive for the spinners as the series progresses, which means that Moeen Ali will come into the reckoning at some point in time. However, England is unlikely to change the winning combination.

Predicted XI: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler (WK), Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Eoin Morgan (C), Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood

IND vs ENG Head to Head

Played – 15 | India – 7 | England – 8

In India 

Played – 7 | India – 3 | England – 4

IND vs ENG Broadcast Details

Match Timings- 7:00 PM (IST)

TV – Star Sports Network

Live Streaming– Disney + Hotstar VIP