In Bengaluru, March 3, The battle between Harry Brook and Jasprit Bumrah will determine the outcome of India's T20 World Cup semi-final against England, according to batting legend Sunil Gavaskar, who also urged the home team to give its pace spearhead at least two overs in the powerplay.
India, the defending champions, will face England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, a repeat of the semi-final matches from the 2022 and 2024 editions.
"I believe that Bumrah should bowl at least two overs in the powerplay because as a new-ball bowler, if he can get those early wickets – Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, and Harry Brook – he will have effectively weakened England's batting," Gavaskar told select media ahead of the DP World Celebrity Golf Event to raise awareness about the CHAMPS Foundation.
Bumrah has primarily bowled one over during the powerplay, with the team saving at least two overs for him at the death. However, in the lost Super Eight game against South Africa, he had bowled two overs upfront.
"If Bumrah comes in to bowl the fifth over, when four overs have already been bowled and the batters have had about 20 deliveries, that means both batters have about 8-10 deliveries to settle in. Wouldn't it be better for Bumrah and for India if Bumrah bowled to them first and got them out?" he wondered.
Gavaskar expects the game to be a "thrilling encounter," with the hosts having a slight edge due to their flexible batting unit and Bumrah.
In 2022, England defeated India by 10 wickets in Adelaide, while Rohit Sharma's team tamed the Three Lions two years later in Providence, West Indies.
"Both sides are well-matched. They have strong batting and bowling. They have a strong middle order, and finishers. Both teams have variety in their bowling," he said.
"England has a few players who have played in the IPL, who are familiar with Indian conditions and the pressure of playing knockout matches. So, I think it will be a thrilling game," he added.
Gavaskar cites Bumrah's ability to be unpredictable as a major factor in his success.
"If you read Andre Agassi's autobiography (Open), how did he pick up where Boris Becker was going to serve? He wasn't able to pick his serve the first few times, and then he realized that if he had his tongue on the left as he tossed the ball up, then he would be serving wide. If he had his tongue on the right, then he would be serving on the centre line," he explained.
"But in Bumrah's case, he doesn't give you anything away. Therefore, it's very difficult to read him. And because he sort of goes wide and then delivers the ball, you often tend to think it's going to come in. But he can get the ball to move away. So that's why he's been such a devastating bowler in all three formats," he noted.
Another advantage for India, according to Gavaskar, is their highly flexible batting unit, exemplified by Tilak Varma batting in various positions in this ICC showpiece.
Tilak initially batted at No. 3, but moved down to No. 5 and 6 once the team management drafted in Sanju Samson into the eleven.
However, the left-hander made significant contributions in the Super Eight matches against Zimbabwe and the West Indies, guiding India to the semi-finals.
"I have always thought of Tilak Varma as a very smart cricketer, somebody who assesses the situation well and then plays accordingly. I think down the order at No. 5 or 6, he really can see what is the need of the hour. I think the way he batted (vs Windies), he really took the pressure off Samson," he added.
Veteran batter Jos Buttler might be struggling in this tournament, but Gavaskar reminds India of the dangers of taking him lightly.
"He can be the kind of dangerous player that Abhishek Sharma is. So, I think getting Buttler's wicket early is going to be ideal. He can be, as we've seen in the IPL and in the ICC events, such a destructive batter," he said.
"He's going through a lean patch, just like Samson or even Suryakumar Yadav was going through for some time. So, let's keep our fingers crossed that he doesn't have a bad day on Thursday," he added.
