Kolkata, February 16: England batter Will Jacks credited the information shared by the top order and favorable batting conditions after smashing a blistering 53 off 22 balls to power his side to 202/7 against Italy in their Group C clash of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Monday.
Jacks' explosive innings, filled with towering sixes and clean hitting, helped England surpass the 200-run mark after they had found themselves in a difficult position midway through the innings. His aggressive approach in the final overs ensured that England finished strongly and seized the initiative.
Reflecting on his innings, Jacks emphasized the importance of the information relayed by his teammates, which helped him quickly assess the conditions when he came to the crease.
"You have to give credit to the top order, because the way they communicate information is obviously crucial in T20 cricket, and I had a very good understanding of the pitch when I went out there," Jacks said after the first innings.
He also described the surface as one of the best England had encountered in the tournament so far, allowing batters to play their shots with confidence, saying, "Yes, it's probably the best one we've played on so far. Minimal spin, not much difficulty with slower balls, and it's a bit lower compared to what we've seen at Wankhede, but it's a very good batting track."
With England posting a formidable total, Jacks said the focus would now shift to executing their plans with the ball against a capable Italian batting unit. "We're ready. Just waiting to see what Brooky wants to do. Yes, it's a good score, but we've seen how it's been the fastest in this tournament so far, so obviously we've got a dangerous lineup, so we're going to have to bowl well," he said.
Jacks also welcomed Italy's participation in the tournament, noting that England had closely followed their performances leading up to the match.
"It's brilliant to have them in the tournament. I think we're lucky that we played them in our last group game, so we've been able to watch them earlier on. So we've learned from how they've gone about that. I think it's about taking care of what you do first and then looking at the opposition," he stated.
