Former South African captain and Royal Challengers Bangalore batter AB de Villiers said India have an edge over England at Adelaide Oval, ahead of the second semi-final in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2022 on Thursday (November 10). Mentioning the slowish nature of the Adelaide pitch and the prolific record of Virat Kohli at the ground, de Villiers stated India held the cards in the semi-final clash.
“It is a clash of batting units. They are playing in Adelaide which suits India. Advantage India. It is a slowish deck. Virat has scored runs here,” said the former batter while speaking on a show at Star Sports.
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He compared the English team to New Zealand and said that the England side is better when compared to the Kiwis. “England is slightly better than NZ. They have a lot of stars and know how to play as a team. I can think of their entire batting lineup being match-winners. Their bowling lineup might be an area where India can get on top,” expressed the South African.
The former Protea captain stated that the English bowling is not the best but is capable of inflicting damage. “I do not think they have the best bowling attack in the tournament, but a very capable bowling attack. They are solid with Stokes, Woakes and Curran. There is nothing incredibly special, but they’re street-smart. Adil can take wickets. I do believe India can take hold of English bowlers. But the English batting lineup can get hold of the Indian bowling lineup,” said De Villiers.
The stage is set for a high-octane second semifinal clash between India and England at the ICC T20 World Cup in Adelaide Oval on Thursday. India finished their Group Stage at the top of their group’s table, winning four out of their five Super 12 matches.
(With ANI inputs)
