Follow UsEngland’s spin-bowling all-rounder Moeen Ali admitted that his team will have to be at their absolute best if they want to topple India in the semi-final of the 2024 T20 World Cup on June 27 (Thursday). India are still unbeaten in this tournament, while England’s route to the semis has been like "a rollercoaster ride".
Their first match against Scotland was washed out. England then lost to Australia by 36 runs before defeating Oman and Namibia by massive margins to qualify for the Super 8s. England started the round with a win against the West Indies before losing to South Africa. Jos Buttler and his men, however, got the better of the USA and confirmed their spot in the semis.
"They're just a brilliant side. They've got everything covered, so we're going to have to be at our best to beat them. I'm looking forward to it, actually: it's a great challenge, similar to the last time we played them in the semi-final in Australia. It's going to be a challenge, and we're going to have to plan and play really well,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Moeen as saying.
The last time England played India in the semi-final was in the 2022 T20 World Cup and Buttler and Co. hammered Rohit Sharma’s men by 10 wickets. Chasing 168 in Adelaide, Buttler and Alex Hales put on 170 runs in just 16 overs and made light work of the run-chase.
"But (also) the way we took them on, and we were unbelievable with the bat. We set the game up on that wicket with the ball. Even when they got away from us a little bit at the end, it was a bit late. That was a great day, and a great performance,” said Moeen.
India didn’t have Jasprit Bumrah in that World Cup. England will also have to be careful of Indian captain Rohit, who scored 92 off 41 deliveries against Australia and knocked them out of the tournament. "He's a world-class player - one of the best players in the world.
"You sometimes just hope they get out in T20s. That's the thing in cricket, especially T20 cricket: you're not always guaranteed runs, no matter how good you're playing. But they've got other players as well.”
England were the first team to qualify for the semis but were forced to spend two more nights in Barbados before they knew their next destination. Their semi-final venue was only confirmed once India defeated Australia on Monday. The two teams will meet at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, a venue where they haven’t played since 2010.
“I've never been there, but I've heard it's an amazing place. You can expect some sort of spin and a tough-ish wicket. Getting here was quite tough. But it's nice to be here, when you're two games away from winning the World Cup."
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