India vs England – 5th T20 International Preview & Prediction
THE FACTS
When is India vs England taking place? Saturday, March 18th, 2021 – 13:30 (UK)
Where is India vs England taking place? Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, Ahmedabad
What is the expected weather for India vs England? 39c with hot temperatures forecast
What channel is India vs England on? The match will be televised live on Sky Sports Cricket (channel 404)
Where can I stream India vs England? The match can be streamed live the SkyGo app
LAST MEETING
India beat England by 8 runs
THE TEAM NEWS
INDIA
- India finally managed to defend a total for the first time in this series by either side as after posting 185/8, they were able to apply enough scoreboard pressure to make it challenging for England who ultimately feel eight runs short.
- There is a good chance that KL Rahul will be dropped after yet another tough innings and while India can be commended for sticking with him to try allow him to play through his poor form, he should make way for the returning Ishan Kishan.
- They may also decide to leave Washington Sundar out and just go with the one spinner with Thangarasu Natarajan tipped to come into the side and those are likely to be the only changes to the line-up.
ENGLAND
- England are approaching this decider as the perfect preparation for what they will expect to face later this year in the T20 World Cup in India and a win here would give them a major confidence booster.
- Unless they plan a surprise with their selection, the likelihood is that they go unchanged for this game and despite the below-par form of Dawid Malan, there is no sign of Morgan and the selectors considering a change.
- Jofra Archer and Mark Wood have both been in sensational form and they will be key to their hopes especially in the powerplay and at the death while it will be interesting to see if they open with Adil Rashid again with the ball or hold him back.
THE PREDICTION
This T20 series reaches a thrilling climax here as India and England meet in this deciding game which is a fitting warm-up for two of the best T20 teams ahead of the World Cup later this year. India were exceptional in posting a very competitive total and then defending it which required them to claw it back when Bairstow and Stokes looked to be in control of the run chase. That snapped the streak of teams batting second winning games and will give both teams confidence they can defend a total in this decider regardless of who wins the toss. India may make a couple of changes but neither side will do anything radical in this final game and it will ultimately come down to which side can execute the best. The key to the game will be around the side batting first and whether they can avoid losing early wickets and enjoy a strong powerplay. If they can, it will be game on but if they do not, expect the team batting second to win at a canter. There is so little to choose between the two sides but the feeling is India are peaking at the right time and the marginal preference goes to them to win what could be a classic.
