New Delhi, March 5 (NationPress) Former Indian cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara has stated that Abhishek Sharma, with his newly adjusted batting stance, may aim to tackle the challenges posed by England fast bowler Jofra Archer by accumulating runs primarily through the off-side during the upcoming Men's T20 World Cup semi-final at Wankhede Stadium on Thursday evening.

Abhishek has had a remarkable record against Archer in T20 internationals, amassing 61 runs in 5 innings without losing his wicket, boasting an impressive strike rate of 185. However, Archer has had his share of success against India in T20s, having taken 14 wickets—the highest against any single team.

“Observing his stance, his front foot toe now aligns towards cover, and his shoulders are squared up. Previously, his toe pointed towards mid-off and his shoulder was more open. With this revised stance, his hands are positioned closer to his body, allowing him to maintain excellent balance with his head,” Pujara explained.

“Abhishek excels on the off side. If you analyze his boundary options, any delivery in that zone, particularly in the fifth or sixth stump line, is where he thrives, and his strike rate is notably high. Archer's strength lies in the fact that many of his deliveries tend to move away from left-handers,” Pujara added.

“This is why Abhishek has found success against Jofra in the past. Even at Wankhede, I believe he will create some space for himself, aiming to hit over point or cover, thus maximizing his scoring on the off side,” Pujara noted during an interview on JioHotstar.

Archer's ability to take wickets with the new ball has been crucial for England's campaign thus far, having taken 10 wickets in the tournament, eight of which were captured during the powerplay. The matchup against Samson, who recently scored a memorable 97 against the West Indies, could be significant.

Archer has dismissed Samson three times in five innings, maintaining an average of just 8.3, primarily by effectively using the short ball. “Jofra will continue to employ short deliveries. Throughout this World Cup, most of his wickets against right-handed batsmen have come from back-of-a-length balls, often around eight meters or shorter. He will likely replicate this strategy against Sanju Samson,” Pujara explained.

“Typically, Samson stands on the leg stump. So, against Jofra, how can he score? One approach is to create a bit more space, slightly moving outside the leg stump, and as Archer is about to bowl, shift to make room to play on the off side. Alternatively, Sanju might focus on rotating the strike and allowing as many balls as possible to go to Abhishek, as he is more inclined to challenge Jofra Archer,” Pujara concluded.