Final ticket at stake, tension increased regarding opening, Ravi Shastri suggested change in opening

The match between India and England is to be played today on March 5 in the second semi-final of the T20 World Cup. The biggest question before the match is whether the Indian team will make any changes in its playing eleven or will it take the field with the existing combination. The biggest concern for the team management is about the form of the top order, where some batsmen have not been able to perform as per expectations.

Disappointing performance against West Indies

Recently, the team did not have a good start in the Super-8 match against West Indies. In that match, Abhishek Sharma was out after scoring only 10 runs, due to which India got the first blow on the score of 29 runs. After this, Ishan Kishan also returned to the pavilion after scoring 10 runs and the team’s score became two wickets for 42 runs. However, after this, Sanju Samson batted brilliantly and played an important inning of 97 runs and took control of the team.

Sanju Samson’s return to this tournament was in the Super-8 match against Zimbabwe. Earlier he had played in a match against Namibia, because Abhishek Sharma was ill at that time. After Samson’s return, there were some changes in the batting order. Ishan Kishan was sent down, while Abhishek Sharma was given the responsibility of opening.

Abhishek Sharma’s performance is not special

Abhishek Sharma did score 55 runs in a match against Zimbabwe, but apart from this his performance has not been special. In the entire tournament so far he has scored only 80 runs in six innings. His average has been around 13 and strike rate around 131. In such a situation, questions are being raised about his form before a big match like the semi-finals.

Former head coach of India Ravi Shastri has also given his opinion on this issue. He believes that the team management should consider the playing eleven keeping in mind the current form of the players. He said that if the team feels that Abhishek Sharma is suffering from lack of confidence then a serious decision should be taken on this. According to Shastri, the mental state of the players can be gauged from their batting in the nets, body language and interaction with the team.

What did Ravi Shastri suggest?

Shastri suggested that if changes are made then Ishan Kishan can be given a chance to open with Sanju. Also, Rinku Singh can be included in the team in the role of finisher in the lower order. Ishan Kishan has scored 224 runs in seven innings in this tournament and his strike rate has also been quite impressive.

However, Abhishek Sharma’s previous record against England has been excellent. Last year, he played an explosive inning of 135 runs in 54 balls at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Therefore, the dilemma before the team management is whether to give priority to the current form or keep faith in the past performance of the player.