Big picture: England enter Il Leone’s den
In any other context, this would be an ideal palate-cleanser for England as they reset their campaign and cast their eyes forward to next week’s Super Eights in Sri Lanka. Saturday’s five-wicket win over Scotland has put Harry Brook’s team on the brink of progression, alongside the Group C leaders West Indies, and it would take perhaps the most embarrassing defeat in their international history for that to fail to come to pass.
But, in the context of what we’ve witnessed of England’s campaign so far, is anyone willing, categorically, to rule it out? Not after the sensational scenes that the Azzurri set in motion in Mumbai last week, they won’t.
If England’s anxieties had been all too apparent in their last-ball victory over Nepal, then Italy’s clinical dismembering of the same opponents four days later showcased an entirely different mindset. Their joy was infectious: simply to be part of the conversation at their first cricket World Cup was one thing, but to flood the occasion with talent, optimism and courage was quite another.By the end of that ten-wicket win, with the Mosca brothers accelerating over the finish line with a combined haul of nine sixes in 76 balls, Italy were playing with a freedom and focus that England simply haven’t been able to locate since the Ashes went south in December.
Harry Brook fell trying to ramp Michael Leask against Scotland•AFP/Getty Images
Twenty-four hours earlier, England themselves had slipped to a meek defeat against West Indies, after which Brook declared his batters had been “too careful”. But as he’s been demonstrating all winter long – including with his impetuous dismissal against Scotland – that boundary between aggression and recklessness remains hard for the skipper and his team to locate.
What an irony it would be, then, if Italy’s willingness to “run towards the danger” proves their best means to close the gap on their illustrious opponents. On paper, it is clearly not a fair contest, and a big-game performance from one of England’s big guns could yet leave us wondering what all the fuss has been about: between Phil Salt, Jos Buttler and Brook himself, there are at least three batters who have yet to produce the statement performance that we all know lurks within them.
It certainly shouldn’t require the sort of lion-hearted, backs-to-the-wall qualification bid that has come to epitomise England’s football World Cup clashes with Italy. If Brook emerges in a bloodied headband, Paul Ince-style, to grind his team to their target, they might as well pack their bags and call it quits now. But so much of England’s long winter campaign has been played in the head. Right now, they seem a little stuck inside their own thoughts.
Form guide:
England: WLWWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
Italy: WLWLL
In the spotlight: Jos Buttler and Crishan Kalugamage
Whether it’s symptom or cause remains to be seen, but Jos Buttler’s displays so far in this tournament have been rather anodyne. His first two innings, against Nepal and West Indies, produced a pair of 20s that ended at precisely the moment that he usually seizes control, and though he reached 4000 T20I runs against Scotland, he didn’t get past the second over. At the age of 35, this may be his last realistic chance to drive England deep into a World Cup campaign. The good news is that he should have plenty time left in the tournament to find his best form. The bad news for England will come if he can’t locate it.
Crishan Kalugamage starred against Nepal•Getty Images
High-quality legspin has been a vital weapon in the tournament to date, and no player was more important to Italy’s stunning win over Nepal than their own such weapon, Crishan Kalugamage. His figures of 3 for 18 not only ripped the heart out of Nepal’s batting, they came just days after England’s mighty Adil Rashid had been beasted by the same opponents at a rate of 14 an over, on one of the worst days out of his 17-year career. In a game where his team have nothing to lose, but against opponents whose anxieties against spin have been a defining feature of their performances, the stage is his to give it a rip and see what happens.
Team news: Madsen still not fit for Italy
Despite their nervy displays so far, England’s team remains broadly settled. Jamie Overton for Luke Wood has been their only change to date, and Overton’s form suggests he’ll continue. The reserves – Wood, Josh Tongue, Ben Duckett and Rehan Ahmed – were the only players to attend optional training on Sunday.
England: (probable) 1 Phil Salt, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jacob Bethell, 4 Tom Banton, 5 Harry Brook (capt), 6 Sam Curran, 7 Will Jacks, 8 Liam Dawson, 9 Jamie Overton, 10 Jofra Archer, 11 Adil Rashid
Harry Manenti’s first outing as captain, in the wake Wayne Madsen’s shoulder dislocation, could not have gone more swimmingly against Nepal. With Madsen still hors de combat, he will lead his team once more.
Italy: (probable) 1 Anthony Mosca, 2 Justin Mosca, 3 JJ Smuts, 4 Marcus Campopiano, 5 Harry Manenti (capt), 6 Ben Manenti, 7 Grant Stewart, 8 Gian-Piero Meade (wk), 9 Jaspreet Singh, 10 Crishan Kalugamage, 11 Ali Hasan
Pitch and conditions: Runs on offer
As Tom Banton proved in his matchwinning knock against Scotland, there was reward on offer for those who played straight on a hard and true Eden Gardens surface, but cross-batted strokes against the spinners were fraught with danger. Conditions for the afternoon fixture are set fair.
Stats and trivia:
Quotes
“We haven’t played our best cricket yet but we’re in a strong position. World Cups aren’t always smooth sailing. We’d rather not start amazing and finish amazing than start amazing and finish bad.”
Harry Brook takes the positives from England’s unconvincing performances so far
“All 15 of us could be in Italy, we could be in India, we could be anywhere in the world and we know where we come from. We have strong connections to Italy. We’ll continue to drive that through the competition.”
Harry Manenti on the unity within the Italian squad
Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket
