Mumbai, Mar 4: Former England captain Michael Vaughan has backed England’s spin attack over India’s ahead of Thursday’s T20 World Cup semi-final at Wankhede Stadium, hinting that Harry Brook’s side could pull off a memorable win in Mumbai.
India entered the tournament as overwhelming favourites but suffered a shock defeat to South Africa in the Super 8s and showed inconsistent form during the group stage. England, meanwhile, have been less consistent with the bat but have managed to secure five successive wins, often in tightly contested matches.
“They seem to have found a way of winning,” Vaughan told the Test Match Special podcast. “The win against New Zealand, even though it was a dead rubber, to get over the line was a great effort.”
England’s batting has largely underwhelmed, with only captain Brook’s century against Pakistan standing out as a match-winning contribution. However, Vaughan highlighted the team’s bowling strength, particularly their spin department comprising Adil Rashid, Liam Dawson, and Will Jacks, alongside seamers Jofra Archer, Sam Curran, and Jamie Overton.
“England have a better spin attack than India,” Vaughan said. “[Varun] Chakravarthy has been got at, whereas Dawson, Rashid, and Will Jacks have been the best trio in the tournament in terms of spin.”
India’s leading wicket-taker Chakravarthy has struggled in key matches, conceding 40 runs against West Indies and 47 against South Africa. Co-hosts India could opt to bring in wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has a strong record against England, but he has bowled just three overs in the tournament so far.
Vaughan also praised England’s fielding and running between the wickets, calling it “absolutely exceptional” and a key factor in the team’s ability to control the finer aspects of the game.
The former England captain expressed confidence that Jos Buttler, despite five consecutive single-figure scores in the tournament, could come good. Vaughan believes Buttler is overthinking his technique and advised him to focus on his natural hand-eye coordination. “Jos is a hand-eye player. Just stare right in the middle of the ball and react to the deliveries,” Vaughan said.
Thursday’s semi-final promises to be a high-voltage clash at the iconic Wankhede, marking the third consecutive T20 World Cup semi-final meeting between India and England. England defeated India by 10 wickets in Adelaide in 2022, while India claimed victory in Guyana in 2024. Both sides subsequently went on to lift the title.
All-rounder Sam Curran, who featured in both previous meetings, said England could use the 2022 semi-final as a blueprint. “If we are searching for a perfect game, that’s something we can hopefully model our game on,” Curran told BBC Sport.