England Opt to Bowl Against West Indies in T20 World Cup Clash in Mumbai

England captain Harry Brook won the toss and elected to bowl first against West Indies in their T20 World Cup encounter in Mumbai, backing the statistics that favour teams chasing at the venue.

“We had a look at the stats and it favours the team batting second so we'd like to have a chase tonight,” Brook said after the toss.

England have made one change to the side that edged past Nepal by four runs in their tournament opener. Left-arm seamer Luke Wood misses out, with right-arm quick Jamie Overton coming into the XI. Overton’s ability to provide late-order hitting is expected to add depth to England’s batting.

West Indies have also made a single change in what captain Shai Hope described as a “tactical” move. Matthew Forde has been left out, with Roston Chase drafted in to counter England’s left-hand-heavy batting line-up.

“We would have bowled first, but have to set the tone with the bat,” Hope said. “It can be a blessing and a curse when you play an opposition you've played against so many times. We've got to bring our A game.”

England’s opening victory over Nepal was secured thanks to Will Jacks’ explosive unbeaten 39 off 18 balls and a nerveless final over from Sam Curran, who conceded just five runs when Nepal required 10 to win.

West Indies, meanwhile, registered a more comfortable 35-run win against Scotland in their first outing. Shimron Hetmyer’s half-century steadied the innings after an early wobble at 58 for 2, while Romario Shepherd sealed the contest with a sensational five-wicket haul, including a hat-trick as part of a four-wicket over at the death.

The fixture carries historical significance, with the two sides meeting at the same venue where Chris Gayle’s blistering 47-ball century powered West Indies to victory in the 2016 tournament. The Caribbean side went on to lift the trophy that year after defeating England in a dramatic final in Kolkata.

Teams

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

West Indies: Brandon King, Shai Hope (capt & wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosain, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie.