Speaking to the press on the eve of the big semi-final in Guyana, England head coach Matthew Mott said it’s important to throw the first punch at a more fearless Indian batting unit. Matthew Mott also spoke about Virat Kohli’s learn form in the tournament. England head coach Matthew Mott said Jos Buttler’s men will be wary of a ‘different’ India when the two teams meet in the semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2024 in Guyana on Thursday, June 27.
Matthew Mott said England have forgotten the past and are heading into the big-ticket clash with hunger and determination to do well and seal a berth in the final.
England vs India WT20 2022 semifinals
England will take on India in a repeat of the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final. India were beaten by 10 wickets by Jos Buttler’s side in that contest in Adelaide after the bowlers restricted Rohit Sharma’s men to 168 in 20 overs. Rohit Sharma struggled for fluency at the top, scoring 27 off 28 balls while Virat Kohli hit 50 off 40 balls. England chased down the target with 4 overs to spare in one of the most one-sided semifinals in T20 World Cup history.
India have certainly been playing more proactive T20I cricket in the recent past. Led by Rohit Sharma, the Asian giants have managed to put pressure on the opposition sides in the first 10 overs.
India sent a warning notice in the T20 World Cup Super 8 match against Australia, tearing into the star-studded Aussie bowling line-up in St Lucia. Despite losing Virat Kohli for 0, Rohit did not slow down as he tore into Mitchell Starc, hitting the left-arm pacer for four sixes in a 29-run over. Rohit hit a 41-ball 92 as India batted Australia out of the contest with 205 on the board — the highest total against Australia in men’s T20 World Cups.
England head coach Matthew Mott believes it’s time to throw the first punch at Team India ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final on Thursday in Guyana.
Matthew Mott confident ahead of IND vs ENG T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final
England head coach Matthew Mott believes it’s time to throw the first punch at Team India ahead of the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final on Thursday in Guyana. The former Aussie women’s team’s coach also reckons England are yet to play their best game in this tournament.
England have had a rocky road to the semi-final of the multi-nation event. The defending champions were on the brink of group-stage exit. However, wins against Namibia and Oman, followed by a little help from Australia helped them qualify to the Super 8. Jos Buttler’s men sealed a semi-final spot after beating the USA by 10 wickets.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the massive game, Mott said that it’s time England up their game significantly and never let their foot off the throat. As quoted by BBC Sport, he said
“We haven’t quite clicked as a whole unit yet. Bits and pieces have worked at different times but our ‘A-game’ is certainly enough to match with India.
“We’ve had to play some ugly cricket at times. But from here on in it’s time to be the frontrunners. It’s time to more or less throw the first punch at India and then try to get our nose in front and never give it back.”
The two sides also met in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final at the Adelaide Oval. The Englishmen consigned their opposition to a 10-wicket loss and eventually defeated Pakistan to be crowned champions.
“We’ve had to fight our way through this tournament” – Matthew Mott
With Team India’s potential semi-final set for Guyana well in advance, Mott said he has no complaints about that. The 50-year-old added:
“We were quite aware there was every chance that we’d be here in Guyana. We’ve had to fight our way through this tournament and it’s something that’s galvanized us as a group and will hold us in really good stead for cut-throat matches.”
Rohit Sharma and Co. are one of the two sides alongside South Africa to still stay unbeaten in this year’s tournament and would love to keep the winning run going.