T20 Cricket World Cup, India vs England: Harry Brook and Brendon McCullum need prime Jos Buttler in seismic semi-final

Mumbai has been celebrating the Hindu festival of Holi this week.

The holiday – packed with colour, music and parties – marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

On Thursday, attention will turn to the Wankhede Stadium, the iconic arena in the heart of the city’s downtown.

Thursday’s T20 World Cup semi-final between England and India will be one of the great occasions.

These sides have met in the last four of the past two editions of this tournament but neither were at Indian cricket’s spiritual home.

With its tiny boundaries, flat batting track and steep stands packed with supporters in Indian blue, the Wankhede is a place that can send the calmest minds into a spin.

Captain Harry Brook stands two wins from becoming only the fourth man to lead England to a World Cup win.

He has said some of England’s players have been hoping this fixture would come at this World Cup, because of the significance it brings.

Now we will see just how ready they are.

And while a World Cup semi-final against cricket’s superpower is seismic in its own right, this is one that could decide the direction of the next two years of English cricket.

Any success for England coach Brendon McCullum at this tournament has come with the caveat of the winter’s Ashes travails in Australia.

The mood around this England camp has been positive – impressively so given the baggage brought into the campaign – but there remains little certainty over McCullum’s future.

Right now, it feels as though the New Zealander has found more stable ground in reaching the semi-finals, but few are speaking with conviction.

Thursday night will define how this campaign is remembered.

Stay, be pushed or walk. All options still feel possible to some degree.