'Going to be a humdinger' - Gavaskar on India-England semifinal

Sunil Gavaskar thinks the semifinal between India and England will be a humdinger of a contest, just like it was at the Eden Gardens on Sunday between India and West Indies.

"I think it's going to be another cracker of a game, just like this sort of quarterfinal against the West Indies was, because both sides are very well matched," Gavaskar said. "They have got batting. They have got bowling. They have got a middle order. They have got, you know, the finisher. Both teams have finishers. Both teams have variety in their bowling.

"Both teams also have got a fair bit of experience of T20 cricket. England have got a few players who have played in the IPL, so who are familiar with Indian conditions, who are familiar with the pressure of playing. It is going to be a humdinger of a game. And like it went in Kolkata yesterday, I think this one also will likely go to the 40th over," the former India captain added.

India may have won a World Cup final in 2011 at the Wankhede but lost a couple of semifinals at the venue in 1987 and 2016. But Gavaskar felt it was time the script changed.

"Well, the other day, I mean, somebody said yesterday as well that, you know, West Indies had never lost a knockout game at the Eden Gardens. But that was broken yesterday.

"So it's a new era, a new team. So, yes, I think India have not had the best of semifinal experiences at the Wankhede. But I do believe that they have the capability to go all the way," Gavaskar said during a select media interaction ahead of the DP World Celebrity Golf Event to create awareness of the CHAMPS Foundation. A host of cricketers and commentators will take part in the March 6 event in Mumbai.

Gavaskar also had a piece of advice for Abhishek Sharma, who has been struggling in the World Cup.

"My advice would be to not always look to bat in the fourth gear. Maybe, you know, look to up the gears as you settle in. Yes, you want to take advantage of the powerplay, where only two fielders are outside the 30-metre circle. You certainly want to take advantage of that. Play to your strengths. But don't always have to look to bat in the fourth gear."

The Indian team has shown rare vulnerability to spin, but the cricketer-turned-commentator does not feel so.

"No, not really," he said about the perceived weakness to spin. "I think this format of the game is where you are looking to up the ante. And when the spinners come in, you tend to think that you can go for the maximum more often than looking for the boundaries. A lot of times, the spinners give you the feel that you should be going for the maximum.

"I think if you mistime one, you tend to get out. In any case, I think in this format of the game, off-pace deliveries are difficult. Batters like pace coming on to the bat because they can use the pace and the bounce to get under the ball and hit it over the top. With the spinners, you have to make the effort as a batter. You have to power the ball away. You are not looking so much for timing; you are looking for power. And I think over there, in looking for power, sometimes you can have a bat speed which is too much, which is where the mis-timing can result in the ball going up in the air and being caught. So, I don't think it is particularly a spin situation. It is just a match-situation situation."