Former England batter Marcus Trescothick, who will be serving as Three Lions’ interim head coach for the white-ball series against Australia at home next month, said that he has not decided if he wants to be considered for this role as a long-term option. Trescothick is currently one of the team’s assistant coaches and is working with the Test team during the ongoing Sri Lanka series. He will leave the squad during the third Test at The Oval to be with the white-ball squads for the series starting from September 11 onwards.

The recent departure of Mott as England’s white-ball coach after failures to defend both white-ball ICC titles has left a vacancy in one of the most highly-sought roles in world cricket and a host of former players and leading coaches have already had their names linked to the job by cricket media.

“It is not something I had ever thought about before, until I got this opportunity now. I am not necessarily thinking any further ahead than the end of the Australia series. I have been very much focused on the job we are doing here [with the Test team],” he said as quoted by ESPNCricinfo.

“You plan your winter: we are off to Pakistan, then New Zealand. I am so ingrained in that at the moment, I have not really sat down and said, ‘right, this is where I will try to go, this is what I will try to do’. I am looking forward to the opportunity, for sure. I am really excited about doing the job. We will work it out a little bit more from there,” he added.

Having never worked as a head coach, the former English left-hander had expressed interest for the role. He was Somerset’s assistant coach for a year and a half after his retirement in 2019 and has been a part of England’s coaching set-up since early 2021.

Trescothick will be working closely with white-ball captain Jos Buttler, who is close to him given their time together as players for Somerset. Buttler returned to the field for training this week after a cal injury ruled him out of The Hundred competition and could play for Lancashire in the T20 Blast quarterfinal against Sussex on September 4.

England’s series against Australia will start just 24 hours after the scheduled close of the final Test match against Sri Lanka, which means teams will be different for both series.

They have a busy schedule,” Trescothick said. “The two series very closely overlap,” he added.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) is yet to advertise the white-ball coach position left vacant by Mott. Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, former England all-rounder and current Northern Superchargers coach Andrew Flintoff are among the favourites for the role.

File image of Jos Buttler and Kumar Sangakkara© X (Twitter)

Legendary Pakistan bowler Shoaib Akhtar has slammed the England cricket team’s decision to elect to bowl after winning the toss against India in the 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final. India piled up 171 runs in their 20 overs, a total that always seemed like an uphill climb for the English batters. Ultimately, England fell short by a whopping 68 runs. After the game, Akhtar wondered what had inspired England to choose to bowl, given the might and variety of India’s bowling lineup.

“Someone please tell me which Einstein adviced England to bat second. What scientist do they have?” questioned a puzzled Akhtar after the game on his YouTube channel.

“Against a team that has Axar Patel, a match-winner like Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja. Then they have Jasprit Bumrah. So who advised you to win the toss and bowl?” continued Akhtar.

England’s batting unit could not deal with the firepower of India’s bowling. Only three batters crossed the 20-run mark, and one more managed to hit double digits.

Axar Patel was the star of the show, dismantling the English top order with three wickets (3/23 in 4 overs). Spin partner Kuldeep Yadav also picked up three wickets, while Bumrah added two wickets to his tally.

However, Shoaib Akhtar reserved more praise for India’s batting. Courtesy of a half-century by Rohit Sharma, and sizeable efforts from Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya, India reached a total of 171/7 in 20 overs.

Rohit accelerated early, scoring a 39-ball 57 on a tough Guyana pitch. Suryakumar Yadav made 47 off 36, and Hardik contributed a quickfire 13-ball 23, with two sixes.

“I’m very happy to see India win,” said Akhtar. “They have a good range of batting. There are no batsmen like Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya,” said Akhtar.

India will take on South Africa in the 2024 T20 World Cup Final in Barbados on June 29. Both sides are yet to lose a game so far in the tournament.

Rohit Sharma in action© AFP

Disappointed after the loss against India in the semi-final, England captain Jos Buttler admitted that Men in Blue “outplayed” his team and said that the Rohit Sharma-led side deserved to reach the final of the ICC T20 World Cup as they played well on “challenging surface.” The clash between the two unbeaten sides has been set for Saturday, with India set to take on South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup after the Rohit Sharma-led side sealed a thumping 68-run win over England at Providence Stadium, Guyana.

The past was washed away by the Indian spinners who bore the brunt of England’s aggression. The 2022 nightmare became a long past after the Indian team avenged their 10-wicket defeat that came at the hands of England.

The England captain said that his team let India take away 20-25 runs and they were “outbowled” by the Men in Blue’s bowlers, admitting that the toss was not the significant factor of the outcome of the match.

Buttler also lauded India for playing a “good game of cricket,” stating he did not expect conditions to change much after the rain.

“India certainly outplayed us. We let them get 20-25 runs too many. It was a challenging surface that they played well on. They outplayed us and fully deserved the win. Very different conditions (than 2022), credit to India. They played a really good game of cricket. With the rain around, didn’t expect the conditions to change that much. Don’t think it did. They outbowled us,” Buttler said in a post-match presentation.

“Our two guys (Rashid and Livingstone) bowled well. In hindsight, should’ve bowled Moeen the way the spin was playing, with the way spinners were bowling. We are really proud of everyone’s effort. We stuck together, came up short when it mattered the most,” he added.

Buttler acknowledged India’s superiority on the Guyana surface and applauded the Men in Blue’s “fantastic spinner” who took away six wickets. England captain hailed his team for their efforts throughout the tournament saying that they had “lots of adversities throughout the competition” they still overcame it as a group to play some really good cricket in patches.

“They had an above-par score. I don’t think that toss was necessarily the difference between the teams. They’ve got some fantastic spinners. They had an above-par score and with a brilliant bowling attack, it was always going to be a tough chase. With everything that’s happened throughout the whole tournament, really proud of everyone’s effort to be here. You can only play who’s put in front of you. We’ve had lots of adversities throughout the competition, we stuck well together as a group, and played some really good cricket in patches but came up short when it mattered the most,” he added.

Coming to the match, riding on the back of Rohit’s fifty and belligerent cameos fireworks at the Providence Stadium by Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya and Ravindra Jadeja’s late flourish powered India to 171/7.

While chasing the target 172, the Three Lions came out roaring, looking to defend their crown, but the unbeaten Indian side was too big of a challenge for the defending champions. With England scoring at a healthy run rate of more than 8, visions of the 2022 World Cup semi-final started to slowly rise within the Indian fans.

Openers Buttler and Phil Salt made a solid start, but the combination of Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah took the top order apart. At that point England were 72/7 – meaning they required 100 runs off their remaining 46 balls.

It was all over for the defending champions after Jofra Archer was given out lbw to Japrit Bumrah, having made an excellent 21 off 15 balls, ending England’s innings for 103.

India flaunted their superabundance of talent in a display of absolute dominance to storm into the final of the T20 World Cup with a 68-run shellacking of England in their semi-final in Guyana on Thursday. Leading the charge once again was their inspirational skipper Rohit Sharma, who laid the foundation with an aggressive 57 off 39 balls, and the captain was well-supported by Suryakumar Yadav (47 off 36), as India posted 171 for seven after being asked to bat first in the rain-hit match.

In reply, England were bowled out for 103 in 16.4 overs as India set up a title clash with first-timers South Africa in Barbados on Saturday. This is India’s third entry into the final of the tournament.

Hardik Pandya chipped in with a 13-ball 23, striking two sixes at a crucial juncture to prop up India.

On a slow, holding pitch with low bounce, left-arm Axar Patel (3/23) helped India tightened their grip on the match with his brilliant bowling, while his slow-bowling colleague Kuldeep Yadav (3/19) caused the damage in the middle overs.

The Indian team thus exacted revenge for the crushing 10-wicket loss it endured against the defending champions in the 2022 semifinal of the mega-event at the Adelaide Oval.

In the process, Rohit became the first Indian captain to lead the country in three ICC global finals in a space of 12 months — 2023 World Test Championship, 2023 ODI World Cup and now the T20 World Cup.

Considering India’s all-round bowling attack and nature of the surface, Rohit’s men were expected to defend the total and they did that rather comfortably.

His decision to use Axar in the powerplay proved to be a masterstroke as the left-arm spinner struck twice in quick succession, from which England could not recover.

Wrist spinner Kuldeep also played his part to perfection on a pitch that suited the spinners all through the competition.

Jos Buttler (23 off 15), Harry Brook (25 off 19) and Jofra Archer (21 off 15) were the only England batters to reach double figures, summing up India’s dominance in the game. Both Buttler and Brook fell while attempting the reverse sweep against Axar and Kuldeep respectively.

“We adapted to the conditions really well. It was a challenge and we adapted. We played the conditions really well,” Rohit said after the match.

India, who are yet to lose a game in the tournament, will be hoping that their star batter Virat Kohli finds run in the all-important title clash. Kohli (9 off 9) perished early once again on Thursday, trying to force the pace.

The keenly awaited fixture was impacted by intermittent rain with the start of play being delayed by one hour and 15 minutes. Another long halt came when India were 65 for two in eight overs.

As many as 250 additional minutes were allotted to the game but there was no reserve day.

Soon after Kohli and Rohit came out to bat after England put the opposition in, it became clear the surface was on the slower side and low bounce made the task trickier for the batters.

While Kohli fell early, Rohit adapted to the conditions much better and decided to play the ball late and behind the stumps. One example of that was the guide over backward point off Archer in the second over when the ball went through Phil Salt’s hands to reach the boundary. Setting the benchmark for other batters, Rohit then collected back-to-back fours in Topley’s third over before applying pressure on England’s premier spinner Adil Rashid after India reached 46 for two in the powerplay.

Rishabh Pant (4) was the second batter to be dismissed as he mistimed a flick to be caught at midwicket off Sam Curran.

Then came the engrossing match-up between Rohit and Rashid where the Indian captain employed the reverse and conventional sweep to collect two fours from the leg-spinner’s opening over.

Suryakumar was batting on 13 alongside Rohit when rain returned at the Providence Stadium, forcing the game to be paused for more than an hour.

The weather played spoilsport two balls after Suryakumar got inside the line to pick Jordan over fine leg for a maximum.

England used the leg-spin of Rashid and Liam Livingstone from both ends after the forced break but they could not stifle Rohit and Suryakumar.

A full toss from Rashid was duly dispatched over short fine leg for four, the first of many boundaries that India accumulated in the middle overs.

The 13th over from Curran yielded 19 runs for India with Suryakumar smashing a couple of sixes and Rohit played a pick-up shot for a maximum that also brought up his second successive fifty.

The entertaining 73-run ended when Rohit was beaten by a googly from Rashid while attempting a slog.

Following Curran’s bumper 13th over, the next fours were quiet for India before Hardik Pandya (23 off 13) hit two flat sixes on either side of the pitch to push the innings forward.

Ravindra Jadeja (17 not out off 9), sent ahead of Shivam Dube, got two crucial fours off Archer in the penultimate over while the latter’s stay lasted only one ball.

Axar’s six off Jordan in the final over took India past 170. The team scored 53 runs in the last five overs. 

Virat Kohli‘s poor form at the 2024 T20 World Cup continued as he was dismissed for a run-a-ball 9 against England in the second semi-final in Guyana. This is Kohli’s fifth single-digit score at the ongoing T20 World Cup. Put into bat by Jos Buttler, Kohli smashed Reece Topley for a six in the third over. But the joy would last for just two more balls, as Topley had the last laugh. Looking to pull over mid-wicket, Kohli was beaten by the swing, and had his leg stump knocked off.

As Kohli’s string of low-scores continue, many fans took to social media to express their disappointment.

This hurts more than heartbreak #ViratKohli #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/3Ocgk4cHcV

— Lokesh Saini(@LokeshVirat18K) June 27, 2024

Virat Kohli The King Kohli Chokli in this T20 world cup 2024#INDvsENG2024 #T20WorldCup#KingKohli #ViratKohli #Chokli pic.twitter.com/N1gxDRtzgE

— Ashutosh Srivastava (@sri_ashutosh08) June 27, 2024

Virat Kohli as an T20I Opener is a Big Disaster for Team India #INDvsENG2024 #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/ohUMzNB3dW

— Richard Kettleborough (@RichKettle07) June 27, 2024

Worst form of the career comes in wrong time.last month he is firing in ipl isn’t,this is not the virat kohli I knowpic.twitter.com/G0F3NrYYhU

— Sabarinath (@Saby2295) June 27, 2024

England captain Jos Buttler opted to field after winning the toss in the high-profile T20 World Cup semi-final against India here on Thursday.

Both teams remained unchanged.

“We would have batted first, the weather looks good, whatever had to happen, it has already happened. We wanted to put runs on the board. The pitch tends to get slower as the game goes on. We understand the challenge of playing a tournament like this, a lot of travel and logistics. It’s a chance to play some good cricket. We don’t want to think too far ahead, stay in the moment and let your game do the talking,” India skipper Rohit Sharma said after the toss.

“We’ll bowl first. Looks like a good surface, the bounce will be low, with the rain around, we thought it’ll be a bit of an advantage to bowl first. We’re up against a great team, but we’re peaking nicely and we are playing the same team today. Looking forward to a great challenge against a top side. Excited to be in a semi-final, but some of us have been here before,” said England skipper Jos Buttler. 

The winner of this semi-final match will be squaring off against South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup 2024 on Saturday in Barbados. 

(With PTI Inputs)

Rain threat looms over the second semi-final T20 World Cup, scheduled to be played between India and England at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. The weather forecast has cast doubts over the game with the capital of Guyana, Georgetown, experiencing heavy rain over the past few days. While there is an uncertainity in the air as far as the weather is concerned, fans have expressed their concern over ICC’s decision of not alotting a reserve day for the high-stakes clash.

Since there’s only a day’s gap between the India-England humdinger in Guyana and the final in Barbados, ICC clarified that the decision was taken keeping in mind that the players get some rest before the summit clash.

“For performance reasons, to ensure teams do not have to ‘play-travel-play’ on consecutive days, the decision was taken to allocate the additional time for the second semi-final immediately post the game because the game is a 10.30am start, whilst the first semi-final is an evening start, which means it is not feasible to play all additional time on the same day,” a spokesperson from ICC had told ESPNcricinfo.

While there is no reserve day for the match, extra 250 minutes have been alotted to complete the match, if rain does show up.

Since it’s a day game as per local time (10:30 AM start), the cut off time for a 10-overs-a-side game is 1.44 am IST (4:14 AM local time).

Meanwhile, India will look to avenge the 10-wicket drubbing against the Jos Buttler-led side in the semifinal of the 2022 edition.

India have won every game they’ve been able to compete in, with the only dropped points coming from the abandoned fixture against Canada at a rain-soaked Lauderhill.

England, on the other hand, has had a hot-and-cold campaign, with impressive wins and unexpected losses, and has fought tooth and nail to qualify for the semifinals.

(With IANS Inputs)

IND vs ENG Live: Squads –

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(w), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal

England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler(w/c), Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley, Mark Wood, Ben Duckett, Will Jacks, Tom Hartley

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 has come to its business end as Guyana’s Providence Stadium is all set to host the Semi-Final 2 between India and England on June 27. The defending champions, England have had a rollercoaster ride in the tournament but eventually were the first team to qualify for the semi-finals. As they take on heavyweights, India, on Thursday, let’s take a look at the predicted XI of England against the Asian giants.

England’s Predicted XI Against India, T20 World Cup 2024 Semi-final 2

Phil Salt

Phil Salt could be one of the biggest threats to India as the explosive opener has scored 574 runs in 14 T20I innings in West Indies. He has carried his IPL 2024 form to the T20 World Cup, scoring 183 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 179.93.

Earlier this year, Salt was roped in as a replacement for Jason Roy in the Kolkata Knight Riders squad. The English hard-hitter smashed 435 runs in 12 matches at a strike rate of 182. He will be raring to go big against Indian bowlers on Thursday.

Jos Buttler (c&wk)

England skipper Jos Buttler was in full swing when he smashed the USA bowlers for a 38-ball 83* in his recent Super 8s match. Furthermore, Buttler is currently the highest run-scorer for England in the ongoing T20 World Cup, with 191 runs in six innings at an impressive strike rate of 159.16.

The wicketkeeper batter has enjoyed batting against India in the past, having scored 475 runs in 18 innings against the Men in Blue. Come Thursday, Buttler’s form will be crucial for England’s success in the semi-final clash.

Jonny Bairstow

A match-winning 108* at the Eden Gardens against hosts Kolkata Knight Riders while chasing a 250-plus total was a blockbuster show from Jonny Bairstow. He was expected to replicate a similar sort of cricket at the T20 World Cup but Bairstow has had a topsy-turvy campaign so far with the bat.

Batting at No.3, he has only managed to score 110 runs in seven matches at a strike rate of 139.24 and will be looking to get going against India in the Semi-Final 2.

Harry Brook

Young Englishman Harry Brook is the only batter at the moment who is averaging over 100 among the players participating in the semis. England’s think tank has been investing in him as a middle-order batter for a long while now and as a result, he has delivered in the T20 World Cup 2024.

Brook has scored 120 runs in just three innings so far at an excellent strike rate of 164.38 and will look to continue his fine form in the tournament.

Moeen Ali

All-rounder Moeen Ali hasn’t been in his best form in the T20Is this year. In the IPL 2024, Moeen could manage only score 128 runs in eight matches for Chennai Super Kings and surprisingly, took just two wickets with the ball.

The southpaw has struggled with the bat in the ongoing T20 World Cup as well, having scored only 63 runs in seven matches and just three wickets with the ball. However, he will play X-factor against India in the spin-friendly pitches in Guyana.

Liam Livingstone

After constant injury scares this year, Liam Livingstone has finally started delivering with the bat. In the ongoing tournament, Livingstone has smashed 61 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 184.84. Additionally, he has looked confident with the ball, having scalped three wickets in as many innings.

Overall, Livingstone has made 680 runs in 36 T20I innings at an impressive strike rate of 151.78. His spin-bowling prowess could prove effective against India.

Sam Curran

The ‘Player of the Tournament’ in the 2022 T20 World Cup, Sam Curran, has been struggling to cement his place in England’s starting XI this time. Curran scored 10 runs in the only instance he got to bat in this tournament and has taken just two wickets with the ball.

Earlier in the IPL 2024, he was named the skipper of the Punjab Kings in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan. Leading from the front, Curran scored 270 runs and also picked up 16 wickets with the ball for his side. Hopefully, he can make a difference when they face India on Thursday.

Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan is currently one of the most experienced players in the England camp. He has played 94 T20Is, taking 105 wickets at an economy rate of 8.71.

The Barbados-born pacer has played four matches in this tournament so far picking up seven wickets at an economy rate of 8.95. Considering his vast experience in the T20 format, Jordan can still be a threat to Indian batters.

If Chris Jordan does get the nod, Mark Wood will miss out. England skipper Jos Buttler has a big call to take.

Jofra Archer

England pacer Jofra Archer came into the scene just ahead of the T20 World Cup after a long halt on the sidelines due to injuries. Archer has picked up nine wickets in seven matches at a noteworthy economy rate of 7.02 and is currently the joint-highest wicket-taker for England in the tournament.

Overall, in 24 T20 internationals, Archer has scalped 30 wickets at an economy rate of 7.48. He will be a player to watch out for against the Indian batters on Thursday.

Adil Rashid

Adil Rashid, one of the greatest white-ball leg-spinners England have ever produced, has been a prominent source of wickets for the Englishmen in this tournament.

In this T20 World Cup, Rashid has scalped nine wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 6.70 and is currently the joint-highest wicket-taker for them in the tournament. The leg-spinner will play a vital role in England’s bowling unit against India.

Reece Topley

Another injury-prone player from England, Reece Topley, has been under the scanner in this tournament, having managed to take only one wicket in five matches so far.

However, his 6/24 against India at the Lord’s in the 2022 ODI series cannot be left unnoticed as the tall pacer has often troubled Indian batters in the powerplay overs.