Show only key events Please enable JavaScript to use this feature 1st over: India 6-0 (Rahul 5, Rohit 1) And they’re done. Stokes’ first ball is a wide outside off which KL Rahul cuts back for four. “This looks, already, a very, very good pitch,” says Ravi Shastri, after two balls. There is a bit of swing for Stokes and Rohit Sharma is bowled chasing a full, long delivery. Rohit pushes the next ball to mid on to get away from point, and then Rahul plays and misses a great delivery. An exciting debut, with something for everyone. Okay not everyone. “Good evening from Brisbane,” says Phil Withall. “I have a little problem. I want England to win, I really want England to win. However, the prospect of 100,000 Indian and Pakistani fans at the MCG is rather exciting. The repetitive drone that is Barmy Army is becoming more than a little repetitive for my tastes. I may be unfair, I admire their unwavering support and commitment, but the trumpet…” Do you want to talk about trumpets now? Updated at 08.03 GMT Ben Stokes will bowl first. England would like an early wicket or seven. Updated at 07:59 GMT Players line up for the anthems. Some seem relaxed, others intense. There is more than one gameface for such an occasion. Both teams get what they want in the toss. Kohli chase factor removed. Wood is a big blow for England. The Green Machine is waiting… — mark butcher (@markbutcher72) November 10, 2022 I’m going to have a coffee. See you in a bit for – gulp – India – England in the World Cup semi-final. “Rob,” says Yog Wadhwa, “Indians are missing their first choice fast bowler and off-spinner – Jasprit Bumrah and Ravindra Jadeja.” I know, I was speechless. It shows the depth of both teams that the first XIs still look so strong. I would like an India C team to go to the semi-finals. India’s Virat Kohli looks focused as he walks past the spectators on his way to the field for the warm-up. Photo: Brenton Edwards/AFP/Getty Images Updated at 08.03 GMT “Your mention of India winning the last four series between the teams made me think about the unpredictability of T20 as the theoretical version of cricket,” says Tom Van der Gucht. “All, at some time, as it will happen: England must therefore win against her… Let us hope… “But as far as the cricket gods are concerned playing a bigger game with the teams just their pawns in their chessboard, a final between Pakistan and India would be the most glorious conclusion… So I guess it comes down to the old conflict between science and religion to whom it will proceed”. William Goldman knew a lot about cricket. England are missing almost half of their best T20 XI – Bairstow, Malan, Archer, Wood and Topley. Let’s make excuses early, eh. Mark Wood (left) misses out through injury. Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images Updated at 08:00 GMT

Team news: Wood loses

Mark Wood failed his fitness test and was replaced by Chris Jordan. This may be a disguise for England, although of course England would love Wood’s breathtaking pace. The only other change is Phil Salt for Dawid Malan. Salt is carded to bat at No3, although Eoin Morgan says he would open with him because of his ability to go strong from the first ball in the Powerplay. India are unchanged, which means that Rishabh Pant – another player who has a very strong square of the wicket – is preferred to Dinesh Karthik. Look at the middle order, and gulp, if you’re an England fan: Kohli, Suryakumar, Pant, Pandya. India KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (c), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh. England Butler (w/week), Hales, Salt, Stokes, Brook, Alli, Livingstone, Curran, Woakes, Jordan, Rashid. Updated at 07:46 GMT

England win the toss and bowl

Well this is interesting. England have been nervous chasers this year but it has been their preferred approach since the 2015 revolution. Rohit Sharma clearly notes that India would have batted anyway. Updated at 07:53 GMT It’s a beautiful evening in Adelaide, so you can put the DLS sheet away. The pitch is being used, although it has been almost a week since the last game, so the curator has had plenty of time to freshen it up. All the commentators think it looks like a beater. The toss is not straightforward, not least because – absurd stall notice – all 11 T20Is at this ground have been won by the team that lost the toss. Psychologically, the knock is important for England, but he can light up nicely under the lights. Updated at 07:37 GMT First team news Dawid Malan is definitely out with a groin injury and Mark Wood is a doubt. Phil Salt and Chris Jordan – whose Iranians are a good option in a ground with such small square boundaries – are likely to come. India have a big decision to make: Dinesh Karthik or Rishabh Pant. Simon Burnton’s big match preview

Preamble

Finally. Ever since white ball cricket was invented in 2015, England and India have been the best teams in the world. But in that time, they have danced around each other in major tournaments. They have only met once, never in the knockout stages. They were on course for a final in 2016 (World T20), 2017 (Champions Trophy) and especially in 2019 (World Cup), but in each case one of them was beaten in the semi-finals. They won’t be in the final this year either, but thankfully we’ll settle for a blockbuster semi-final: India v England in Adelaide for the right to play – oh yes – a rampant Pakistan in Sunday’s final. It has been a long time. But unlike many highly anticipated fights – Mayweather v Pacquiao, Tyson v Lewis, Barlow v Baldwin – this one will be with both parties nearing their prime. Although England and India each have bigger opposition, their matches still have a unique intensity. (Don’t mention the M-word, but watch out if the game gets jerky.) There’s also a huge amount of mutual respect, fostered mostly through the IPL. Both teams recognize in each other what elite athletes crave most: a worthy opponent. India go into today’s game as slight favourites. They have won the last four T20 series against England, which should count. They are No1 in the world and have played better cricket than England in this tournament – ​​even though, surprisingly, they were closer to the brink in their win over Bangladesh. There is also an argument that India are under more pressure to win – firstly because they haven’t won a world tournament since 2013, secondly because they are India, thirdly because they are India. England, as an outspoken Moeen Ali said the other day, would like another white-ball trophy to confirm their greatness. They have a history of raising their game for the toughest opposition, certainly at World Cups, and a few key players – Josh Buttler, Alex Hales, Mark Wood (though his injury is a doubt), Sam Curran – are in great form. If you’re into the whole positive reinforcement thing, it’s due to those who are out of shape. Buttler’s new-ball contest with Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who has caused him all sorts of problems in the recent past*, could be crucial. England also need plans for Virat Kohli, who averages 123 in this tournament and an outrageous 84 in all T20 World Cups – and for Suryakumar Yadav, the freest spirit in world cricket. Suryakumar should love the small square boundaries at Adelaide Oval. England could do with – here comes the cheesy pun – some blue-SKY thinking, because nobody seems to have a clue how to bowl to a man who can hit any ball for a six. It might just be an extended purple patch, but right now it feels like redefining middle-order batting. He has a T20I strike rate of 180 and an abracadabrad 117 off 55 balls against England in the summer. The good news for England is that they won this game. The bad news is that it was a dead tire because they had already lost the series. In short, nobody knows anything but it’s England v India in a World Cup knockout match for the first time since Graham Gooch’s match in 1987**. If your mouth does not water, you should seek urgent medical advice.

  • In T20Is Buttler has scored 30 off 32 balls from Bhuvneshwar – and has been dismissed five times ** The famous tag team game in 1999 was essentially a knockout, although this was only apparent at the start of the second innings Updated at 07:43 GMT