India vs England, 5th T20I: Match preview and stats
What's the story
The final match of the India-England T20I series will be played at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium. This match is particularly special for Suryakumar Yadav, who will be leading the Indian team at his home ground for the first time. As per ESPNcricinfo, despite a recent dip in form, Yadav's record at this venue is phenomenal with 1,493 runs (second-most by any batter), a strike rate of 156.66, and an average over 38 from 49 matches. Here's the match preview.
Game plan
Yadav's form and England's strategy
Yadav is currently going through a slump in T20I, having not scored a half-century in seven consecutive innings. This includes a mere 26 runs in four matches of this series. England's bowlers, including Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Brydon Carse have capitalized on this weakness by using hard lengths to rattle the Indian skipper. Their strategy will likely continue in the upcoming match as they look to rattle Yadav's homecoming game.
Focus
Player focus: Openers Abhishesk and Duckett
Abhishek Sharma has become an integral part of India's aggressive batting approach. In his brief T20I career, he has only been dismissed twice with a strike rate of less than 100. He owns 400 runs at 26.66 (SR: 180.18). Meanwhile, England's Ben Duckett is known for his ability to attack spinners. His prowess was on display when he scored 51 runs in Rajkot, guiding England to a win through last-wicket stand. In Pune, he dazzled in the powerplay.
Match outlook
Team changes and weather forecast for final T20I
Shivam Dube's concussion could keep him out of the fifth T20I, possibly paving way for Ramandeep Singh or Harshit Rana. Mohammed Shami could also return, taking Arshdeep Singh's place. For England, fast bowler Saqib Mahmood is likely to keep his place after a brilliant series debut. The team may rest Archer, who has played all four T20Is so far, and bring back Gus Atkinson. The weather is expected to be clear with no rain interruptions during the match.
Teams
Here are the probable XIs
India (probable XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh/Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh/Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy. England (probable XI): Phil Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (captain), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jamie Smith/Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer/Gus Atkinson, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid/Rehan Ahmed.
Do you know?
24 wickets in this T20I series for Indian spinners
Team India's spinners have claimed a combined 24 wickets in this T20I series. It's the most they ever have in a bilateral series. In-form Varun Chakravarthy leads the charts with 12 wickets, including a five-wicket haul.
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