Former India National Cricket Team spinner Pragyan Ojha has stated that the Jos Buttler-led England National Cricket Team are a “solid side” on paper, but “unfortunately cricket is not played on paper” and the Three Lions will have to perform well on a given day to seal the victory.
The Jos Buttler-led England finished as the Group 1 runners-up in the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 and they are set to lock horns with Rohit Sharma-led India National Cricket Team in the semi-final 2 of the marquee tournament on Thursday at the Adelaide Oval.
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During an interaction on India Today, Ojha was asked about his perspectives on England’s strong batting lineup that has not been able to perform well at times. He replied:
“When you look at the England team, on paper, they look a very solid side. They have every player who can win you a game on a given day. Unfortunately, cricket is not played on paper.
“That’s the reason why it is very important to carry the momentum. A lot of players talk about momentum in T20 cricket, that is only because a less experienced team can beat a bigger team with great experience and great names. That is only because the other team doesn’t sync well or play to their potential.”
They have got great players but till now they have not synced in – Pragyan Ojha on England
Pragyan Ojha further said that the players in England’s T20I setup are really great, but “till now they have not synced in”. He also said that facing India will be a big challenge for the Three Lions. He stated:
“They have got great players but till now they have not synced in. Unfortunately, it rained for them, they were fortunate enough to be in the semi-finals but now it will be a big challenge for them. They are facing a team which has been playing good cricket.”
Pragyan Ojha further highlighted how the openers – Alex Hales and Jos Buttler – gave an amazing start to England in their last Super 12 game in Sydney and they suddenly faced a batting collapse and lost back-to-back wickets. He added that the Jos Buttler & Co. will have to address their batting issues ahead of the semi-final clash against India. He said:
“Now it is very important how well England addresses those small issues. If we see the game that they played just before the semi-finals, they were cruising, they were 104/1, suddenly they lost five wickets. So that is something which they need to address.”
Also Read: IND vs ENG: “Let’s Not Fool Ourselves”- Aakash Chopra Discusses India’s Issues Before The Semifinals
