"England Would Have The Upper Hand But..." Ex Star Says Why India Holds Advantage In Semi

Ahead of the second semifinal clash between India and England in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup, former England cricketer Paul Collingwood said that he does not see Men in Blue losing this time, unlike the 2022 edition semifinal, pointing out that England will have to do "something extraordinary" to beat them. It will be a rematch of the semifinal from the 2022 edition of the tournament as a red-hot Team India will meet England in the second semifinal of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup at Guyana on Thursday. The last time these two nations faced off in a Men's T20 World Cup semi-final was just 19 months ago in Adelaide, when a remarkable opening partnership between Jos Buttler and Alex Hales saw England cruise to 10 wicket win that forced a complete rethink in India's T20 strategy and move away from more established superstars to younger blood, from conservatism to aggression.

This time around, though, India has more batting firepower led by experienced campaigners skipper Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, more attacking options through the middle overs, and more variation in their attack, but the defending champions will take some beating, especially with skipper Jos Buttler and his new opening partner Phil Salt both in blistering form. Also, Indian bowlers are in mighty fine form, especially the pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh.

Speaking on the Star Sports Press Room, Collingwood said, "India, with their well-rounded squad, stands out. Particularly Jasprit Bumrah's current form. He is fit, accurate, fast, and highly skilled. No team seems to have an answer for him. In a 120-ball game, having someone like Bumrah with his pace for 24 balls makes a huge difference. India has looked confident even in tough situations and