And welcome to the coverage of the first of a three-match Twenty20 series between England and India, starting tonight at the Ageas Bowl. It’s a new era for England’s white ball teams after the retirement of Eoin Morgan. Jos Buttler has already appeared as captain five times in this format, winning three and losing two, but this is the first game of a long-running period, which will take place at the T20 World Cup in Australia this October, the World Cup. Next year’s world in India and, if successful and wants to continue, another World T20 in the Caribbean and the United States scheduled for June 2024.
England’s various players Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes have received the series, but will play in all three games over 50, while England’s best T20 bowler Adil Rashid has received the authorization of the Cricket Board of England and Wales to miss the two series to make their Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca.
There are opportunities in these absences for Phil Salt and Harry Brook to claim Morgan’s christening slot, Matt Parkinson to offer the competition to Rashid and Richard Gleeson to force himself to the side as a right-arm pitcher given the recent obsession of England with the left. fast arms in limited games. Gleeson, the last of the recent developers at 34, may not have his chance at Southampton with Chris Jordan likely to continue alongside the three left-handers: Tymal Mills, Sam Curran and Reece Topley.
Rohit Sharma has recovered from Covid and will lead India from the top of the order, with a team of IPL rock stars at his disposal that includes Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, Suryakumar Yadav and Dinesh Karthik. There are no players in the test, except Rohit who had to be left out of the fifth test, on the roster of the day and maybe there is no place tonight for the fast Umran Malik, but he, like Gleeson, should have their chance on the weekend, either at Edgbaston on Saturday or 24 hours later at Trent Bridge. And speaking of Edgbaston: