(AFP Photo)
England head coach Matthew Mott has issued a warning to Jos Buttler’s squad, emphasizing the threat posed by Rohit Sharma’s India in the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 semi-final.
The semi-final clash between England and India is set to take place at the Providence Stadium in Guyana, a rematch of their encounter in the 2022 T20 World Cup semi-final at Adelaide Oval, where England won convincingly by 10 wickets under Jos Buttler’s leadership. Following that victory, England went on to clinch the T20 World Cup title in Australia, defeating Pakistan in the final.
Despite England’s strong performance in the current tournament, showing significant improvement from their 7th-place finish in the 2023 ODI World Cup, Mott recognizes the formidable challenge posed by the unbeaten Indian team. He highlighted the importance of learning from past tournaments and implementing those lessons effectively in the Caribbean and USA venues.
To defend their 2022 title, England must overcome India in the semi-finals, a task made more challenging by India’s unbeaten record in the tournament. While England had an easy victory over India in the previous T20 World Cup semi-final, Mott’s cautionary remarks underscore the need for thorough preparation against a strong Indian side led by Rohit Sharma.
Matthew Mott, addressing the press, expressed his observations on the Indian team under Rohit Sharma in the 2024 T20 World Cup. He emphasized that Rohit Sharma’s squad appeared notably transformed compared to their approach in the 2022 semi-final at Adelaide Oval, where they seemed uncertain about setting a winning target on a favorable pitch.
“I think, when we go back to that semifinal, obviously on a good pitch in Adelaide, we put India in and that was a risk. I thought they weren’t sure what a good score was.” – Mott told press reporters.
Matthew Mott confidently stated that Rohit Sharma and his Indian team are poised to challenge England aggressively in their upcoming match. Mott anticipates India will strive to set a formidable total and apply pressure on the defending champions. He also emphasized that the clash promises to be an exciting battle between two well-balanced sides in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“I think the approach now is maybe they come hard at us and try and maximize the powerplay and put the score out of our reach. I think we have got two very good batting line-ups, the bowlers are all class too. So I think it is all going to come down to on the day who sums up those conditions the quickest and who puts the opposition on the backfoot first.” – Matthew Mott concluded.
