IND vs ENG 5th T20I: The Indian team, which has already won the series, will face England in the fifth and final T20 International cricket match here on Sunday amid the controversy over the ‘concussion sub’ (substitute player who replaces a player when the ball hits his head).
When its eyes will be on the performance of top-order batsman Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
IND Vs ENG: Samson and Suryakumar’s Struggles Continue Can They Shine in 5th T20
Opening batsman Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav, among the three top-order batsmen, are struggling to score runs and the team would like to see them return to form here. India won the fourth match played in Pune by 15 runs and took an unassailable lead of 3-1 in the five-match series. However, in this match, England expressed displeasure over India’s decision regarding ‘concussion sub’.
Samson did not play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Kerala before this series and the lack of match practice is visible in his game. He is seen struggling against the fast and rising balls of Mark Wood and Jofra Archer.
Samson has scored only 35 runs in four matches so far, but it does not seem that India will make any changes in its combination of the opening pair.
Suryakumar, the fourth-ranked batsman in the world rankings, has not been able to play any good innings after scoring 75 runs against Bangladesh eight months ago.
The Indian captain has not been able to open his account in two matches against England so far, while in the other two matches, he scored 12 and 14 runs. He would now like to return to form by playing a big innings on his home ground.
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Concussion Substitute Controversy Explained
During the Indian innings, all-rounder Shivam Dubey was hit on the head by the ball and India brought in fast bowler Harshit Rana as his ‘concussion sub’, who took three wickets for 33 runs and dashed England’s hopes of making a comeback.
India’s decision had the approval of ICC match referee Javagal Srinath, but England was upset as to why it did not field a player of similar qualification while Ramandeep Singh was present in the team.
England captain Jos Buttler openly expressed his displeasure over this, but his batsmen were also responsible for the defeat as they could not take advantage of the good start. England, chasing the target of 182 runs, had scored 65 runs for one wicket at one time, but after that, it lost wickets continuously.
Its batsmen once again failed to understand the spin of spinners Varun Chakraborty and Ravi Bishnoi. India may have won the series, but the poor form of Samson and Suryakumar remains a matter of concern for them. Samson did not play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy
Mohammed Shami Set for Return as Team Assesses Fitness
Rinku Singh, however, dispelled the concerns being expressed about his form and fitness by scoring 30 runs in the fourth match. In this match, all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dubey scored aggressive half-centuries and they would like to show their prowess again on the batsman-friendly pitch of Wankhede Stadium.
Fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who returned after recovering from injury, was played in the third match, but he was rested in the fourth match. The team management would like to include him in the playing eleven in the fifth match and assess his fitness once again.
As far as England is concerned, it has not yet performed as expected in any department. Harry Brook’s return to form is a positive aspect of it.
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