South Africa’s victory in Mullanpur has thrown open the T20I series with two matches remaining.
A win in the third match in Dharamsala on Sunday will help India forge ahead in
the five-match series. The loss in the second game has opened up several questions about India’s batting order with the likes of Shubman Gill in a race to find his form in a fickle format.
With eight matches to go before the T20 World Cup, India have to decide between vice-captain Gill and Sanju Samson. The prolonged slump that captain Suryakumar Yadav has been going through is also a cause for worry.
It is expected that the cool climes of Dharamsala will aid lateral movement and the pacers. How the India batters live up to the challenge will decide the contest. The South African pace attack, comprising Anrich Nortje, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi, has shown how to bowl on Indian tracks, and the extra bounce on the wicket will certainly keep them interested.
Jasprit Bumrah going for runs in the second game is also a cause for worry, but the
circumstances could help him to produce another inspiring spell.
Bumrah had never been hit for four sixes in a T20I. Donovan Ferreira scored 17 off 6 off Bumrah, the best strike-rate for a batter against the pacer in a T20I. He took Bumrah for two sixes, the joint-highest any batter has done in a single game in this format.
But the more worrying factor could be Arshdeep Singh bowling and his propensity to bowl wides. The left-arm pacer went for nine wides in Mullanpur, including seven in an over. Unless he amends his ways, it could spell disaster for India.
Two of the last three T20Is in Dharamsala have been won by the team batting second because of the dew that prevails at this time of the year. India’s top-order thus far has looked poor unless Abhishek Sharma hits form. But in such a fickle format, the team can’t always depend on one player.
South Africa on the other end appear to have the requisite balance in their batting. Quinton de Kock’s return to form, along with the likes of Aiden Markram, Dewald Brevis, Ferreira, David Miller and all-rounder Jansen, gives their batting an intimidating look.
The visitors chose rest ahead of the match amid the serenity of the hills. “I have had to cancel a meeting today because some of the players were still on their hike in the mountains,” Proteas coach Shukri Conrad said. “Coming to a wonderful place like this is all part of the experience of playing in India.”
The coach said they are still in the process of finding the ideal XI. “It might look as if we’re slightly unsure given the amount of changes we make every match,” Conrad said. “But it’s certainly not changes for the sake of being changes.
“We have a pretty good idea of what our World Cup squad will be like. Again, it’s really just managing players. There are a few guys who have been here since the Test series. And then we’ve also got SA20 after this. So really just about managing players.
“And then also giving everybody a good run. See what works here, what doesn’t work. But yeah, we’re pretty clear in terms of what we want.
“We certainly don’t have any specific target in mind in terms of where we want to reach as a batting unit. But we’re pretty confident in our all-round game,” said Conrad.
As has been the trend in the subcontinent, the batting could decide the outcome.