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After an absorbing four-Test series unfortunately tainted by a dead-as-doornails pitch in Nagpur, pyjama cricket is back.

A much changed, bright-eyed England take on pretty much the same old India - for whom under-fire captain MS Dhoni is facing heavy pressure to find a win in the format from which his boss's, boss's bosses have created an IPL-shaped, money-spinning monster.

For the tourists, it is a chance to take another peek at an exuberant future, despite losing skipper Stuart Broad to an injured heel and being in the hinterland between Andy Flower's semi-departure and Ashley Giles' arrival as coach for the ODIs in January. Richard Halsall takes the reins for this festive 'series' of two matches. 

Eoin Morgan will captain in Broad’s absence, while the absent names of Kevin Pietersen, Graeme Swann et al betray England’s priorities ahead of a year that holds 15 Tests in the form of two series against New Zealand and, praise be, back-to-back Ashes.

Alex Hales, Jos Buttler, Jonny Bairstow and Stuart Meaker are all likely to play in Pune - while the reverse-sweeping Yorkshireman Joe Root has been fast-tracked into the squad after a mightily assured Test debut. Don’t be fooled by his obduracy against the red ball, this kid has a few trick shots up his sleeve and a cricketing intelligence that belies his tender years, too.

It also says much about the still embryonic nature of T20 cricket, as well as Team England's workload management policy, that Jade Dernbach (remember him?) has the most international wickets of anyone expected to feature in either side.

But where's Craig 'Kiesy' Kieswetter? I hear four of you yelling. Dropped, is the answer. But don't worry because your favourite 17-runs-off-15-balls-before-skying-to-extra-cover merchant will be back with a slog in the 50-over side next year.

India's hubristic, aging equivalent of English football's 'Golden Generation' of the early 2000s, meanwhile, are supplemented by the likes of Ajinkya Rahane at the top of the order and Suresh Raina in the middle. Yuvraj Singh still packs a punch with the bat and stands an outside chance of causing a few problems for the callow visitors with his left-arm pies.

Their fielding will have to improve drastically from its diabolical level in the Test series, but they should fare better without the creaking limbs of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag stood with all the mobility of a tethered bullock at first slip.

One side with much to prove, then, and another with much to learn. The pre-Christmas pressure is undoubtedly all on the Indians not to look like turkeys.

*Test Match Sofa are LIVE for every ball of the India v England T20 internationals on Thursday 20th and Saturday 22nd December from 1.15pm GMT.

@sofa_maxb

Don’t be fooled by the Friends Life T20 competition being barged out of the limelight this summer. What has already been an enthralling tournament reaches its climax this Saturday in Cardiff as three old hands and a new face take part in a three-game bonanza at Sophia Gardens. 

We’re live for every ball on Test Match Sofa from 10.45am BST as Sussex take on Yorkshire in the first semi-final at 11am, before Hampshire and Somerset contest the second semi at 2.30pm. With both finalists decided, there’s a short break to catch our breath and restock the beer fridge before the big game starts at 6.45pm.

Here’s a quick look at the contenders for the tenth English T20 crown:

SUSSEX

Key Player: Chris Liddle

The Sharks rocketed into finals day on the back of pyrotechnics from Matt Prior, Luke Wright and Scott Styris. The latter’s 100 not out in the quarter-final against Gloucestershire was a 37-ball display of violence to stir even the most obdurate 20-over objector. Why Prior is not in England’s World T20 squad, incidentally, is anyone’s guess.

Oft unnoticed has been their bowling. Captain Michael Yardy’s darts generate four overs of suffocation for the batting side, while Chris Liddle is one of a batch of left-armers to prosper in the competition this year.

They have only reached the final once, beating Somerset in 2009, but they’ve earned the favourites tag this year after going through the group stage and quarter-finals like a dose of salts. 

YORKSHIRE

Key Player: Jonny Bairstow

For skipper Andrew Gale, this is about much more than getting the never-having-been-to-finals-day monkey off Yorkshire’s back. The Tykes are boosted by the availability of Jonny Bairstow and David Miller, who have been released from England and South Africa ‘A’ duty respectively.

One blow is that Mitchell Starc, the tournament’s leading wicket taker, is not allowed to rejoin the county. The fit-again Ryan Sidebottom and Tim Bresnan, if the ECB are generous enough to release him, should more than fill the void left by the Australian left-armer, though.

Look out for the brisk fielding of this young side and don’t rule out the fearlessness of youth helping to take them past the favourites Sussex and into a first ever final.

HAMPSHIRE

Key Player: Neil McKenzie

The 2010 winners will be without Glenn Maxwell after his efforts in the group stage were rewarded with a call-up to the Australia limited-overs squad. Michael Carberry is fit for battle, though, as is T20 captain Dimitri Mascarenhas, with the Royals looking to avenge last year’s super-over defeat to Somerset in the last four. 

21-year-old Danny Briggs has twirled away at a tidy economy rate this year and has no little incentive to impress after his inclusion in England’s squad for the World T20 in September.

They may be outsiders this time, but don’t discount a side that have built momentum quietly throughout the campaign.

SOMERSET

Key Player: Marcus Trescothick

The last few years have been successful yet unrewarded ones at Taunton. Losing the 2011 CB40 final to Surrey while also cocking up the T20 final for an infuriating third year running, it seemed the crest of the Ciderboys’ wave was about to break.

But they have reached a fourth successive finals appearance with captain Marcus Trescothick back from injury and belligerent as ever with the bat. Jos Buttler, Craig Kieswetter and Peter Trego are no less liable to blast a game out of reach of any opposition, but stretched bowling resources may be a stumbling block.

If the aforementioned batsmen fire, sparks could fly in an explosive final against Sussex or Yorkshire.

Join us LIVE on Saturday at 10.45am BST for live, interactive ball-by-ball coverage of T20 finals day. Send in your tweets to @testmatchsofa throughout the day to make the conversation your own.