Scores Upcoming Results
29-Oct-2011 13:08:00 GMT
India v England, only Twenty20, Kolkata

India Opt to Bat, Uthappa and Yusuf Play

Kolkata: Indian skipper MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat against England in the one-off Twenty20 international at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.

Brimming with confidence after thrashing England 5-0 in the ODIs, India would be aiming to wrap it up in style by beating the visitors.

After a forgettable English summer during which India were demolished in all forms of the game, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men returned to rule the roost in the home series against the same team.

India dominated in all the departments of the game with juniors as well as seniors doing their bit to humble the Englishmen.

The action will now shift to the shortest format when the 2008 ICC World Twenty20 winners lock horns against the reigning champions, who are struggling in Indian conditions.

Dhoni, who is yet to be dismissed in this series, has lived up to the role of a finisher, amassing 212 unbeaten runs from four innings.

Virat Kohli too has matured as a batsman, shouldering responsibility with elan. The Delhi youngster has been India's leading run-getter in the absence of key players such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh.

Another Indian star batting performer has been Gautam Gambhir who will miss out on the Twenty20 because of his marriage.

But that has handed Karnataka batsman Robin Uthappa a huge opportunity to make a mark after remaining in the sidelines for three years.

With no Eoin Morgan, the number one Twenty20 batsman in the world rankings, the English side is a depleted one as it will also miss regular skipper Stuart Broad. Off-spinner Graeme Swann will captain the side.

That their star batsman Kevin Pietersen nurses a fractured left thumb makes matters worse for the English think-tank.


Scores Upcoming Results
Related links

Top