big picture
If we need an ad for a five-match bilateral T20I series, and a 74-match IPL behind, this is it.
We’ve seen the hosts go down 2-0 with a middle order that looked like it just couldn’t get it together, and then coming back to win their last two, with the finishers who should win. They dominated a very spectacular attack. India have the momentum but South Africa have enough reasons to snatch it. South Africa came into this series on the back of a hugely successful T20I run and won 11 of their last 12 matches. They found unlikely heroes and continued in the first two games, underlining that they had a team effort and not a galaxy of superstars. Inevitably a few have emerged in this series.
For South Africa, Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen won the first two matches, while some considered them T20I match-winners, and found places in an XI with two all-rounders and two specialist spinners. His team structure is showing signs of creativity that was once lacking, and his T20 approach has become more innovative. But their frontline bowlers have been lacking and that could be where the series can be won or lost. Players like Kagiso Rabada, who has performed brilliantly in the IPL and Enrique Nortje, who is returning from injury, can have their say on this. Or they might not be able to make it because Bengaluru’s weather hasn’t been looking to play with the ball, and if the series is shared at 2-2, it won’t be that bad either.
form guide
(last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWLLW
South Africa LLWWW
in the headlines
A South African team that has stopped relying on superstars has lost its sheen quinton de kock , who has not scored a T20I fifty in six innings before last year’s T20 World Cup. In this series, de Kock missed two matches due to injury and was run out after a mix-up with Dwayne Pretorius in the previous match, so he didn’t get as much chance to make an impact as he would have liked. But South Africa need him if they are to get off to a better, quicker start. Their other openers, Temba Bavuma and Reeza Hendrix, both need some time to settle down and are more about strike rotation than boundary-hitting, which makes de Kock’s role even more important.
team news
India: (possible) 1 Ishan Kishan, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt & wk), 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Dinesh Karthik, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshal Patel, 9 Avesh Khan, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal
South Africa: (possible) 1 and 2 Quinton de Kock / Reeza Hendrix / Temba Bavuma (c), 3 Rasi van der Dussen, 4 David Miller, 5 Henrik Klaasen (wk), 6 Dwayne Pretorius, 7 Marco Jensen / Wayne Parnell, 8 Kagiso Rabada , 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Enrique Nortje, 11 Lungi Ngidi / Tabrez Shamsi
pitch and conditions
Known for being a belter, thanks to short boundaries and a flat pitch, Chinnaswamy hasn’t hosted any white-ball cricket before the pandemic, when it was known as a venue that scored runs. and is ruthless to spinners. But for that to happen players have to hit the park. With heavy rain on Friday night and drizzle throughout Saturday affecting the Ranji Trophy semi-finals, it has been a wet build-up to the match. There is a 70% chance of rain on match day.
statistics and general knowledge
- Chinnaswamy has an average first innings score of 155 in T20Is. In the 2019 season, the average first innings score across IPL games is around – 154.
mention
“Maybe it’s the lack of adaptability that day that we need to go back and address. Obviously, it’s a big game on Sunday for the series, and we need to be a little more proactive than reactive in these types of situations.” is required.”
Keshav Maharaj Hope South Africa can learn to adjust gameplan in crucial time
Firdous Munda is ESPNcricinfo’s South Africa correspondent
