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England Bat First vs Italy in Crucial T20 WC Group C Clash at Eden Gardens

England won the toss and chose to bat first against Italy in their ICC Men's T20 World Cup Group C encounter at Kolkata's Eden Gardens. England is looking to build on a win over Scotland that steadied their campaign, though concerns about their top-order remain. Italy arrives with growing confidence after a landmark victory against Nepal, showcasing disciplined bowling and confident batting. The match presents a tougher test for Italy's momentum and a key opportunity for England to solidify their standing in the group.

Key Points: England vs Italy T20 WC: Brook Wins Toss, Elects to Bat

  • England aims to consolidate after steadying campaign
  • Italy seeks to build on landmark win over Nepal
  • Both teams field unchanged playing XIs
  • Match is a test of England's top-order stability
  • Italy's growing belief presents a tougher examination
2 min read

T20 WC: England elect to bat against Italy; both sides unchanged

England captain Harry Brook opts to bat first against a confident Italy in a key Group C match. Follow live updates from Eden Gardens.

"We just have to have a bat today... thinking about the result rather than the risk. - Harry Brook"

Kolkata, Feb 16

England won the toss and elected to bat against Italy at the iconic Eden Gardens in their Group C encounter of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup on Monday.

England steadied their campaign by defeating Scotland, lifting themselves to second place after earlier struggles, including a defeat to the West Indies and a testing game against Nepal. While their latest win showed improved composure, particularly during the chase, concerns remain around their top-order stability.

Italy, meanwhile, arrive with growing belief after securing a landmark victory over Nepal, bouncing back strongly from a difficult start. Their disciplined bowling and confident batting reflected a side beginning to adapt to the demands of this level.

This match presents a tougher examination, but Italy will aim to build on their momentum. For England, it is a chance to consolidate their standing; for Italy, another opportunity to challenge expectations and continue their upward progress.

Winning the toss, England captain Harry Brook said, "We're going to have a bat today. We feel like it's the right decision. There isn't much in it stat-wise, so yeah, we just have to have a bat today. I think in our case, the bat especially being fearless, looking to take it to the opposition and put them under pressure and thinking about the result rather than the risk... Same team. I think everybody knows that we haven't, but we've managed to scrape through in a couple of games, which has been vital. So yeah, hopefully we can have a good performance today."

Meanwhile, Italy skipper Harry Manenti said, "We were going to bowl anyway, so it works nicely. We were tossing and turning what to do; it was nice I didn't have to make the decision. Coming of the win gives us the confidence. We came into the tournament confident. We are unchanged. Wayno is tracking well, he is not going to be ready today, will try in a few days time."

Playing XIs:

England: Philip Salt, Jos Buttler (wk), Jacob Bethell, Tom Banton, Harry Brook (c), Sam Curran, Will Jacks, Liam Dawson, Jamie Overton, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid

Italy: Justin Mosca, Anthony Mosca, JJ Smuts, Harry Manenti (c), Ben Manenti, Marcus Campopiano, Grant Stewart, Gian Meade (wk), Jaspreet Singh, Crishan Kalugamage, Ali Hasan

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Loving the spirit from Italy! It's great for the global game to see newer teams competing well. Their win against Nepal was impressive. Hope they give England a proper fight today.
A
Arjun K
Honestly, England's performance has been quite shaky. They are a top side but scraping through against teams like Nepal? That's not the champion mentality. They need to be more dominant if they want to go deep in this tournament.
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Priyanka N
Seeing names like Jaspreet Singh and Ali Hasan in the Italian team is so cool! Cricket is truly becoming a global sport. Best of luck to both teams from Kolkata! 🏏
M
Michael C
Brook's comment about being "fearless" is key. England plays their best cricket when they take the aggressive route from ball one. Hope Salt and Buttler give them a flying start.
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Karthik V
The real test for Italy's bowling is here. England's batting line-up, on paper, is very powerful. If their spinners can control the middle overs at Eden, we might see an upset. Exciting match ahead!

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