IND vs ENG: 5th T20I Preview – India, England set for a run feast in high-scoring Wankhede

India and England will square off at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday, February 2. The home side bagged the series by winning three out of the first four T20I. On Friday, India managed to win the fourth T20I in Pune by 15 runs to take an unassailable lead in the five-match series.

India looked stronger in the fourth T20I, with Shivam Dube and Rinku Singh making their comebacks. The former scored a half-century but was replaced by Harshit Rana, who came in as the concussion substitute in the second innings. Hardik Pandya was another batter who scored a half-century. Harshit bagged three wickets with the ball, playing a pivotal role in India’s win. However, this created a massive controversy as some experts opined that Harshit was not a like-for-like replacement for Dube.

Meanwhile, Harry Brook returned to form in the fourth T20I as he smashed an enterprising half-century. However, Varun Chakaravarthy dismissed him for the third time in four innings in this series. Phil Salt could not get going once again as he was dismissed for a 21-ball 23.

The fifth T20I might seem inconsequential as India has already won the series. However, fans can expect a good contest as both teams will want to build confidence ahead of the upcoming three-match ODI series.

Pitch Report

Eight T20Is have been played at the Wankhede Stadium. The average first innings score is 191. Chasing teams have won five games, while teams batting first have emerged victorious on three instances. Defending totals is not easy at the high-scoring venue. The new ball might swing for the first few overs and the openers will have to be cautious.

Predicted XI

India: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy.

England: Phil Salt (wk), Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (c), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethell, Jamie Overton, Brydon Carse, Jofra Archer, Saqib Mahmood, Adil Rashid.