The series heats up as India and England prepare for the fourth T20I at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune on Friday, January 31.

India (IND) will face England (ENG) in the fourth match of England's tour of India. This match will be played at the Maharashtra Cricket Association in Pune. The series is well at 2-1 as there are two games left in this T20I series. It's been a fascinating series with ups and downs throughout the games and both teams have put in some great performances so far.

After losing the first two matches, England bounced back in the third T20I in Rajkot and kept the series alive with a 26-run win. They were sent to bat first and got off to a great start at 83/1, but soon Varun Chakaravarthy sparked a collapse and the score was 108/3. Then another flurry of wickets fell and England were at times reeling at 127/8. But Livingstone relished Bishnoi hitting him for three sixes in a single over, helping England reach a total of 172 in the first innings. On a surface that had just enough for the bowlers, it was a par score.

India started aggressively in the powerplay but continued to lose wickets and Adil Rashid bowled really well, picking up the informed Tilak Varma and putting the Indian batters in trouble. Jamie Overton brought the finishing touches as he delivered a crucial spell in the final overs to secure victory for England. India were restricted to 145/9. This promises to be another exciting game between these two teams.

Match Preview

India

India has great striking power. And that allows the top-class batsmen to play a fearless style of cricket. Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav are all known for their attacking approach to the game.

Samson's lack of runs is a major concern for India. Abhishek Sharma, on the other hand, is struggling to convert his starts into a longer knock. He can have a big impact on the game even if he stays at the crease for the first 4-5 overs of the game.

It might not be a good idea for Suryakumar Yadav to go at number 3. Tilak Verma is just right at number 3. He can adapt his batting game and adapt the tempo of the innings to suit the game situation.

Suryakuamr Yadav has a wide range of shots in his repertoire but the English pacers seem to be overwhelming him. Here the skipper has to try something different. A change in batting position might work for him.

Hardik Pandya is another key figure in the middle order. He is the finisher of the team and is someone to watch out for. The experienced all-rounder knows how to score quickly and carefully build partnerships after a breakdown.

India has plenty of spin bowling options, especially Varun Chakravarthy. Mohammad Shami is back in the team and will set the pace along with Hardik Pandya.

England

After a two-game series defeat, England fought back well to keep the series alive and will look to equalize on Friday.

With Phil Salt struggling on the one hand, Ben Duckett will be under a lot of pressure to give the team a solid start. He scored an excellent half-century in Rajkot and looks to be in good form. Jos Buttler also played well and is the tournament's top run-scorer.

Liam Livingstone also stepped up in the last game and scored a brisk 43 runs. However, players like Harry Brook, Jamie Overton and Jamie Smith need to play better. While Adil Rashid has only picked up three wickets so far, he has kept things tight at one end, posting an economy rate of less than 6 runs per over.

Rashid's impact in the last two games has undoubtedly been brilliant, but he will be tested on pitches that don't offer the same kind of turn.

Brydon Carse and Jofra Archer are England's leading wicket-takers for the tournament with 5 wickets each.

Pitch Report

The pitch in Pune is usually good for batting, especially in the first half. In each of the last two games played here, over 200 runs were scored in the first innings. However, since the pitch is made of black soil, it tends to slow down as the game progresses and the spinners get some help. Anything over 170 will be difficult to track here.

Toss Prediction

Teams bowling first have won 6 of the last 10 T20 matches played at this Pune venue. Even though the recent games were relatively low-scoring, there have been high-scoring encounters in the past. Both teams have a strong batting line-up that includes some of the big stars of T20 cricket. They will back themselves to chase down a target.

Weather Report

It will be partly cloudy in Pune with the maximum temperature being 32 degrees Celsius. Even though cloudy weather is expected in the city this week, there is no sign of rain and we can expect an uninterrupted cricket match between these two teams.

Head to Head

The two teams have faced each other in 27 matches. India has won 15 while England won 12.

Venue Details

It is a balanced wicket where both batter and bowler can find help. The highest score successfully scored at this venue was 158 runs scored by India against England in 2012. In 2023, Sri Lanka recorded the highest total score of any team at the venue when they scored 206 runs batting first against India. The average 1st innings score in the 4 T20Is played here is 166 runs. We expect anything over 180-185 to be a competitive total at this venue.

Match Prediction

England may have looked threatening with the ball in their last two games. However, they have no answers with the bat. India have plenty of reliable batsmen who can make up for the lack of form of some of their key players. Overall, India has a clear lead in this competition and will start as favorites in our match prediction.

India wins the game

Betting Tips

We support India to win this game. The hosts have a strong spin attack led by Varun Chakravarthy who is in top form. Most Indian batsmen, especially from the top order, also played well. England's batting performance was below average on several occasions.

Bet on India to win.

Probable Playing XI

India Playing XI

Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, Mohammed Shami, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy.

England Playing XI

Philip Salt, Ben Duckett, Jos Buttler (c), Liam Livingstone, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wk), Brydon Carse, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, Mark Wood.

Top Fantasy Picks Dream11 Prediction

India Key Players

Suryakumar Yadav has played 78 matches in his T20 career so far and scored 2,570 runs at an average of 41 and will be a good choice for captaincy.

Hardik Pandya has played 109 matches in his T20 career so far and scored 1,700 runs at an average of 28. He will also bowl medium pace.

Sanju Samson will open the batting and scored two centuries in the previous T20I tour of South Africa. It will be a practical budget choice.

England Key Players

Jos Buttler has played 129 matches so far in his T20 career and has scored 3,389 runs at an average of 36. Jos Buttler has hit 310 fours and 146 sixes in the format.

Liam Livingstone has played 55 matches in his T20 career so far and scored 881 runs at an average of 27. He will be a top choice.

Jofra Archer has played 29 matches in his T20 career so far and has taken 35 wickets at an average of 22.74, conceding almost 7.53 runs per over, with the best individual figure being 4 for 33.