India T20 World Cup 2024 captain Rohit Sharma said he would have chosen to bat after England counterpart Jos Buttler won the toss and opted to field in a rain-delayed semi-final in Guyana.
Sharma called on his side to “get the job done” following a decision by Buttler which was unsurprising on a slow pitch with the chance of more rain later in the day.
“It looks a little dry – I hope as the game goes on it gets slower and slower,” said Sharma, claiming Buttler’s move suited him. “We would have batted first.
“It looks like good weather; the weather seems clear now. It’s a big game and we want to put runs on the board.
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“We’ve managed pretty well with all the travelling. We need to get the job done now. It’s a great opportunity for us.
“The mantra for us is to take things as they come, stay in the moment and let our ability do the talking.”
The defending champions appear chill ahead of the semi-final clash against India 🤩#T20WORLDCUP PIC.TWITTER.COM/HAPMC2L834
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) JUNE 27, 2024
England vs India ‘big challenge’
An extra 250 minutes will be played if necessary but there will be no extra day, with India advancing if the match is washed out because they finished top of their Super 8s group.
England won by 10 wickets when the teams met at the same stage of the tournament in 2022.
“It looks a decent surface,” said Buttler. “Everyone’s talked about some low bounce here but with the rain around this morning, we think bowling first is an advantage.”
A repeat of the 2022 #T20WORLDCUP semi-final showdown 👊
Who will triumph? 🤔#INDVENG pic.twitter.com/h2vYVuyd3t
— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) JUNE 27, 2024
T20 World Cup: England ‘excited’
“We’re up against a brilliant team, so we’ve got to be at our best,” added Buttler. “We are proud of our consistency in recent T20 World Cups but we are desperate to go all the way here.
“We’re looking forward to a big challenge against a great side. We’re all very excited.
“A few of us have been in these situations before so we know what to expect and hope we are in for a good game.”
