India-England T20Is 2017: Combined XI

After England managed to sneak in a victory at the Eden Gardens, their first win against India on this tour, Eoin Morgan’s men will be feeling more relieved than upbeat. The ignominy of a 4-0 drubbing, and the subsequent loss in the first two ODIs despite strong batting performances, would surely have scarred them mentally. It’ll be interesting to see, however, if they can continue the form into the shortest format. The runners-up of the World T20 last year will be against the semi-finalists, who under Dhoni had a successful year in T20s. Now under a new captain, they will have a new set of strategies up their sleeve. As two T20 powerhouses meet, we combine the best from both sides into one team:

Openers

Jason Roy

With a PSL contract in his kitty and an IPL one in the offing, Jason Roy is taking quick strides as a T20 star, and is a more than valuable addition at the top of the order for England. His T20I record doesn’t show the effect he can have in the initial overs: he’s got only one T20I fifty in 16 games, as opposed to 4 centuries in domestic T20s.

In 2016, he blossomed under the captaincy of Morgan, playing his natural, free-spirited game that got him two hundreds in ODIs, including a 162 against Sri Lanka.

Virat Kohli

Although his position as an opener in this team might raise a few eyebrows, he is a regular at the position for the RCB in the IPL, a move that works wonders for him considering that he gets more time to settle himself. In T20Is, Kohli relies more on his ability to clear gaps and will, and an eye for hitting maximums off loose deliveries.

He’s not a slogger, but can surely send a few over the ropes. It will be his first assignment as a T20I captain, and he will be inching to get a trophy under his belt.

Middle-order

Joe Root

One of the few players who have succeeded with an orthodox technique in all formats, Root will be back to being England’s key batsman after missing the Kolkata ODI. In the World T20 last year, he showed why he is such a bankable player, giving his classical shots a flourish and adding a few enterprising ones, like in his knock against South Africa, where he completed a 29-ball 50 with a reverse-swept six, and ended on 83.

He will bring some much-needed stability, playing the sheet anchor’s role with the ability to change gears when required.



MS Dhoni

Dhoni at No.4 is the best position for the former India captain to come in to bat: he has himself conceded that he would ideally want to bat higher to get more time to settle in. Although his figures don’t generate the same excitement as his ODI ones (he is yet to score a single T20I fifty), the captaincy relinquishment will hopefully bring back the Dhoni of old. And if the century in the ODI series is any indication, the 35-year old still has something left in his tank.

He has played just one T20 as a non-captain: against South Africa in 2006.

Jos Buttler

The hard-hitting batsman is now England’s first choice wicketkeeper in ODIs and T20Is, having edged out Jonny Bairstow from the competition. More than his keeping, however, he is known for his blistering knocks down the order, consisting of clean strikes that ease their way to the fence.

The 26-year old is no alien to Indian conditions, having spent his time with the Mumbai Indians in the IPL last year. He himself conceded that the stint helped him get his Test spot back.

He’s played 50 T20Is, churning up runs at a strike rate of over 40, and was amply rewarded with the captaincy of the ODI team in 2016.

All-rounders

Ben Stokes

For Stokes, one of the first things to do will be to improve his below-par numbers in T20Is, as well as forget the disappointment of the final over loss to West Indies at Kolkata in the World T20 finals last year.

He averages below 13 in T20Is, mostly because he plays very low down the order, often left with only a few balls to swing his bat. His strike rate, over 140, highlights his ability to tonk the ball at will, while his nippy bowling is potent weapon for the middle overs.

Hardik Pandya

The current answer to India’s never-ending quest for a medium pace allrounder, Pandya is one of the most exciting talents to look forward to in this series. A hard-hitting batsman who can clear ropes with ease, Pandya was fast-tracked to international cricket after a good season with the Mumbai Indians.

However, despite all his power hitting abilities, as well as his skiddy bowling, Pandya still needs to prove that he is a responsible bat, for he sometimes goes for one shot too many and ends up putting the team in trouble.

Bowlers

Chris Jordan

Rated highly as a death-bowling specialist who can turn the heat with his pace on the batsman, Chris Jordan showed what he is capable of by picking up 3-39 and scoring a quickfire 29 in his first World T20 match, against West Indies last year. The classmate of famous singer Rihanna, Jordan’s fortunes changed when he made a move to Surrey in 2012, and was in the English team in a couple of years. His death bowling prowess earned him a spot in the RCB team for the IPL last year, and the team will be banking on him to use Virat Kohli’s batting secrets to their advantage.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The new Bhuvneshwar, post his comeback from injury, has been stronger and faster, adding more value to his already potent swing bowling. Who can forget his T20I debut against Pakistan in 2012, when he finished with figures of 4-0-9-3, picking up three of the top four batsmen with his prodigious swing.

The 26-year old has picked up 16 wickets from as many T20Is, having last played during the India-West Indies T20I series in Florida.

Amit Mishra

It is time Mishra, the senior statesman, finally got his due as a limited-overs bowler. Now with Ashwin and Jadeja withdrawn from the squad, the onus is on the 34-year old to step up his game, now that the opportunity is firmly in his hands.

Man of the match in the last ODI, as well as Man of the Series against the Kiwis, Mishra has played just eight T20Is, but should be preferred over a relatively inexperienced Yuzvendra Chahal, who still needs to add a few skills to his trade.

Jasprit Bumrah

2016 was a memorable year for Bumrah - who, in one season, showed that he belonged to the big stage by ending as the leading wicket taker, as well as No.2 in the bowlers’ rankings.

With his awkward bowling action, as well as the ability to send down yorkers ball after ball, Bumrah is exactly what India needed - a bowler who can tighten the screws in the final overs, an aspect where the hosts are infamous for lacking.