India v England LIVE: T20 World Cup semi-final reaction after Jos Buttler’s team hammered in 68-run defeat

2022: England cruise to Adelaide victory

England fans do not have to think back too far for the last time they faced India for a place in the final of the T20 World Cup – November 2022.

India batted first at the Adelaide Oval, posting 168 with half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya. However, a blistering unbeaten opening partnership from Jos Buttler (86) and Alex Hales (80) saw England coast towards an impressive 10-wicket win with four overs remaining, before going on to beat Pakistan in the final.

South Africa are through to their first T20 World Cup final to finally break one of sport’s most persistent curses after a dominant nine-wicket victory over Afghanistan in Tarouba.

On an unruly pitch, the Afghanistan batters could do little against a rampaging Proteas’ bowling attack as Tabraiz Shamsi and Marco Jansen took three wickets each to enable South Africa to finally put an end to their run of seven straight semi-final exits in World Cup competitions.

Speaking to the BBC following the win, Proteas captain Aiden Markram insisted his side wouldn’t be scared as they break new ground.

“This is as tough as it gets really,” he said. “One more step, it’s an exciting challenge for us. We’ve never been there before but it’s nothing to be scared of. It’s an opportunity that we’ve never had and we’ll be really excited about it.

“We feel we’ve been playing really good cricket for a couple of years now, have some world-class players in the group and it takes a full squad to put together a really good cricket game. Obviously there are external pressures but we’re trying to keep it simple and that should give us a good chance.”

England head coach Matthew Mott believes his side have gone from “rock bottom” to the real deal as they prepare to fight for a place in the T20 World Cup final.

A blockbuster semi-final against world number ones India awaits in Guyana on Thursday, giving Mott the chance to complete a radical shift in fortunes after plumbing the depths just seven months ago.

Back in November, Mott and his captain Jos Buttler oversaw a torturous 50-over World Cup on Indian soil, losing six of their nine group games before bowing out with big questions over the duo’s leadership.

But England’s director of cricket Rob Key held the line, insisting they had earned the right to defend the title they won together in 2022 and has watched them walk a tightrope all the way into the last four.

And Mott, who bore the brunt of the criticism last time around, thinks hard experience has helped he and Buttler forge the team’s identity.

In the event of rain, a minimum of 10 overs per side are required to be played for a result, up from five overs earlier in the tournament. There is no reserve day for the game, with 250 minutes of additional time able to be used on Thursday to try to complete the fixture.

If the match is washed out, the team that finished higher in the Super 8s (India) will advance.

England seem to have settled on their favoured combination, too, even if Tom Hartley’s darts may be a tempting option on a surface often enjoyed by left-arm spinners. Chris Jordan’s standout day against the USA should allow him to keep his place ahead of Mark Wood.

Predicted England XI: Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (captain & wk), Jonny Bairstow, Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Chris Jordan, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Reece Topley.

India may well be unchanged, with Virat Kohli likely to be backed at the top of the order despite a succession of low scores at the tournament so far. Spin trio Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel and Ravindra Jadeja shape as key threats.

India predicted XI: Rohit Sharma (captain), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh

The second T20 World Cup semi-final between India and England is due to start at 3.30pm BST on Thursday 27 June at Providence Stadium in Guyana.

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the action live on Sky Sports Cricket, with coverage on the channel from 3pm BST. Subscribers can stream the semi-final via Sky Go.

If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

India and England meet again in a T20 World Cup semi-final with Rohit Sharma’s side hoping to end their opponents’ title defence.

England knocked out India at this stage at the last edition of the tournament on their way to victory in 2022, and have battled back from a poor start in the Caribbean to again eye a final berth.

But their semi-final foes are yet to be beaten despite the lean form of a couple of key players, with Jasprit Bumrah to the fore with the ball and Sharma leading from the front with the bat.

A spin-friendly surface should also suit India’s trio of tweakers as they seek a first T20 title in 17 years.

Here’s everything you need to know:

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of India v England in the T20 World Cup semi-finals. The teams have taken different paths to reach this point but the two giants of the game start on equal footing as they aim to book a date with South Africa in Saturday’s final.