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England face India in the T20 World Cup semi-final in Guyana today, looking to defend the title they won in Australia two years ago.
But the draw was rigged in India’s favour: unlike England, who only found out at the last minute where their semi-final matches would take place, India and their fans had known for months, and the draw was designed to favour Asian television audiences, not local or international viewers.
The semi-final in Guyana has no reserve day as it is being played in the rainy season, but the other match in Trinidad had a reserve day. If the match is rained out, India will top their group in the Super 8 and will need at least 10 overs per team to get a result.
England have had an up-and-down start to the tournament, losing to Australia and barely escaping the group stage, but have improved since then, dominating the West Indies and scoring a convincing win over the United States before losing a closely fought match to South Africa. India, on the other hand, are unbeaten throughout the tournament and, following Australia’s loss to Afghanistan, will be the obvious favourites to win.
Follow the live action from the match in Guyana on our blog below:
England team
England: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (captain, Weekend), Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Moeen Ali, Liam Livingstone, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley.
Sonia TwiggJune 27, 2024 16:35
England won the toss and chose to bowl.
Rohit Sharma: “We were batting first. The weather seems good and sunny at the moment. It’s an important match so we want to score runs.”
“It looks a little dry but as the game goes on we expect it to get slower and slower.
“We’ve done a good job with the travel, now we just need to get the job done. It’s a great opportunity for us.”
“Our philosophy is to accept things as they are, stay in the moment and let our abilities speak for themselves.”
Sonia TwiggJune 27, 2024 16:30
England won the toss and chose to bowl.
Rohit Sharma said India would also make no changes to their line-up for this match, adding that he would have liked to bat first had he won the toss.
Is it some kind of mind game?
Sonia TwiggJune 27, 2024 16:26
India vs England T20 World Cup Semi-Final Toss
Jos Buttler won the toss and chose to bowl.
The England captain said: “Everyone has been saying that the ball bounces low on this ground and we had some rain earlier so I think it gives us a bit of an advantage to bowl first.”
“We have peaked at the right time and have been playing good cricket and we will be coming out with the same team today.”
Sonia TwiggJune 27, 2024 16:22
Pitch Inspection
If you’ve forgotten the fact that the first innings should be half over at this point, we’ve got good news for you.
The toss will take place 10 minutes later and the match will kick off at 4.45pm BST.
Sonia TwiggJune 27, 2024 16:13
Pitch Inspection Alert
Pitch inspection will take place at 4.15pm so stay tuned for the results and hopefully the start time.
Sonia TwiggJune 27, 2024 16:05
How long will the delay last?
Well, we won’t know what we’re dealing with until the rain stops.
However, the earliest the match can begin and the full match can begin is 7.40pm BST.
A minimum of 10 overs is required, with the final start time being 9.40pm BST.
So there is plenty of time to get started on this.
Sonia TwiggJune 27, 2024 15:58
India vs England semi-final postponed due to rain
The weather has improved in Guyana and England have resumed football, but it remains to be seen how long it will take for the ground to dry out.
Once the sun is out, the area will dry out quickly.
Sonia TwiggJune 27, 2024 15:54
India vs England semi-final postponed due to rain
Just to be clear, if the match is rained out (which is still a long way from happening), India will top the group and England will finish second.
Sonia TwiggJune 27, 2024 15:46
India vs England
The Supersopper is out and unlikely to play anytime soon, so the toss is not expected to take place for at least another 30 minutes.
Sonia TwiggJune 27, 2024 15:38