India vs England Fifth T20I Preview: Tussle for supremacy could favour the hosts

After three matches won by the chasing team, India overcame dew and the odds to defeat England by eight runs in the fourth T20I. That result evened out the series 2-2 leading into the fifth and final match of the series. Spectators will still be out, though, as the two teams get set for action on Saturday.

Surya Kumar Yadav scored a scintillating match-winning 57 (31 balls) to lead India to 185/8. There were impressive contributions from Shreyas Iyer (37) and Rishabh Pant (30) giving India the impetus they needed.

Shardul Thakur (3/42) kept his nerve in the final over to overcome a horror start and a wet ball. The seeds of India’s win were laid by Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1/30) and Hardik Pandya (2/16).

Virat Kohli’s injury is a slight concern and don’t be surprised if he is rested. Ishan Kishan could be back in the playing XI.

Jason Roy got back to form with a typical 40 off 27 balls, while Ben Stokes led England’s chase with an aggressive 46 off 23 balls. Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer made 30 runs off 17 balls together, but in the end proved to be in vain.

Archer impressed with the ball (4/33) posting his best-ever figures in a T20I, while Mark Wood (4-1-25-1) continued to be a revelation with his pace. If England are to win the series, they need the pace duo to be at their best.

England will have a hard look at their bowling composition, as Jordan continues to leak runs. T20 specialists Reece Topley is in the squad. Dawid Malan’s poor form is a concern, as Sam Billings’ presence provides a versatile option.

The H2H win-loss count is tied 9-9 after the last match. The score is level – incredibly – in home matches with five wins each. India, however, have a recent upper hand with six wins in the last nine matches against England.

India have struggled with their sixth bowling option or ‘lack of’, although Hardik Pandya has been impressive throughout as their fifth bowler. Batting looks fairly settled, although KL Rahul’s extended poor form is a massive concern. England have their own problems, as Dawid Malan’s place comes under scrutiny. Reece Topley could be an option either for Sam Curran or Chris Jordan.

India will look to find answers to their sixth bowler conundrum which continues to be their Achilles’ heel. The emergence of Surya Kumar Yadav and the calmness of Shreyas Iyer have camouflaged KL Rahul’s poor form, but India could be willing to rest Rahul or Kohli. That could be a surprising boost to their chances, even as England could balance out their playing XI with the inclusion of either Reece Topley or Moeen Ali. The stakes can’t be higher for a high-profile series like this, but it is still loaded in favour of the chasing team especially with the amount of dew we saw in the fourth T20I. Backing England to win the powerplay and the sixes count could be the way to go once again.