World T20: In spin-friendly conditions, England pacers turn it on

England came into the ICC World T20 banking on their spinners Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid to do the trick. They even had a third spinner, left-armer Liam Dawson, in the bench.

Eoin Morgan's England have achieved their first target of making the semifinals, but the star of the show so far for them have been their seamers, taking 14 out of the 22 wickets in their three wins in Group 1.

Leading the wickets tally for England with six scalps in four matches at an average of 20.33 and strike rate 8.13 is left-arm swing bowler David Willey, the 26-year-old with huge domestic T20 experience.

While Chris Jordan is second with five wickets, right-armer Liam Plunkett has an economy rate of 4.37 after he replaced the expensive Reece Topley from the playing XI for the last two matches against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka.

Willey has the huge responsibility of sharing the new ball with Jordan – who took his career best 4/28 against Sri Lanka on Saturday – when the openers look to capitalise on the fielding restrictions. Plunkett then turns in as a first-change bowler inside the powerplay.

Willey said recently that he was excited about his first visit to India, while Plunkett has toured here with the national team and also England Lions previously.

Plunkett was not the first choice for World T20. He replaced the injured Steven Finn and straightaway impressed, bowling a maiden in his first over in World T20 against Afghanistan after being benched against West Indies and South Africa.

Having bowled in Indian conditions and largely in the sub-continent, experience tells Plunkett that "over here, you cannot bowl quick. You are going to go the distance. You have got to work on different skills and yorkers."

Plunkett impressed for England in the UAE last November when he picked up three wickets in each of the two games against Pakistan. Approaching a game with a positive frame even as the batsmen go for leather is what brings success to him.

"If you approach the game thinking you are going to go 10 or 15 runs an over, you have already done that. You have to approach the game thinking I am going to win the game. It is with that approach that I took 3/21 and 3/33 in Dubai. Also, when I was in the UAE before Christmas while I was not playing (for England), I was working on different aspects – the slow balls, yorkers, etc," the 30-year-old Yorkshire professional said.

Swinging with the new ball and bowling yorkers are also Willey's strengths. Plus, he can strike the ball as he has a domestic century in first-class, one-dayers and T20 in domestic cricket for Northamptonshire.

"Basics are still very much the same irrespective of where you are playing," For Willey. "Try and swing upfront with the new ball, hit my areas early on and get the yorkers in the end. As long you do the basics well anywhere, you generally do okay. Swing is the key. Take early wickets and it will go a long way to the result of the games."

Fast bowlers usually don't find it easy bowling in India. Willey refused to think it was "intimidating for the medium-pacers." "It is a great opportunity," he said. "You could be playing against the best batsmen in the world. I try to swing with the new ball and hit my areas early on, and get the yorkers in the end." 

Willey, whose father Peter played for England in Tests in the 1970s and 1980s before becoming an ICC umpire, said yorkers are tricky. "You have all these different shots being played and you could bowl yorkers, someone could get down and hit over the head. You've got to try and anticipate what the batsmen is looking to do. And maybe adapt accordingly," Willey said.

Not getting picked for England regularly – he has appeared in 13 Tests, 34 ODIs since his debut in 2005 and only five T20Is in the last nine months – doesn't frustrate Plunkett so much.

"If you don't get picked, you are disappointed. I'm not going to cry. If I am not in the England squad, I am going to try and win trophies for Yorkshire. The last couple of years, I felt I was good enough to be in the England squad. When I played, I always took wickets. You could perform and you could be in the team for a while. You want that clarity (from the coaches), 'Listen, we don't think you have got this' and I will then go and work on it. That is what you want," he said.

For now, what the England think-tank would want from Plunkett and Willey is a repeat of their performances against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka when they take on New Zealand in their semifinal in New Delhi on Wednesday.

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14
No. of wickets England fast bowlers have taken out of the 22 in their three wins in the group stage