Ahmedabad, February 21 Varun Chakravarthy has been a major challenge for the South African batsmen, and senior player Quinton de Kock expects his younger teammates to use their natural instincts effectively while avoiding overly unconventional strategies.
Chakravarthy has taken 22 wickets in eight T20I matches against South Africa, including 10 wickets in the recent bilateral series in December.
However, the Proteas have appeared a more balanced side in the last two months, and De Kock said that all members have done extra preparation in facing the spinner who bowls both off-spin and leg-spin.
When asked about how to tackle Chakravarthy, De Kock replied: "I think everyone has their own way of approaching the situation. I think, ultimately, our batsmen just need to focus on their strengths and use their instincts at the right time. That's what I believe," De Kock said on the eve of their Super Eights game against India.
"He is a very good bowler at the moment, and he bowled well against us in the series, like two months ago. Hopefully, the batsmen will have had more time to study him and discuss their strategy. So, hopefully, with their plan, it will work out."
However, there was a sense of respect for Chakravarthy's abilities.
"If the plan doesn't work, there must be a reason. It's probably because he is the best T20 bowler in the world. So, we'll have to see what we can do."
The reticent De Kock also didn't want to overemphasize Abhishek Sharma's hat-trick of ducks.
"He is currently the best T20 batsman in the world, according to the rankings, so he must continue to play as he does. He is still young, so he will inevitably have some failures. Being the best obviously means something. I'm sure he will eventually play a crucial innings," De Kock said when asked for advice for the struggling Indian opener.
Having played against each other extensively in the last few months, De Kock believed that there is little difference between the two sides, and the team that handles pressure better on a given day will win the game.
"I think it will be a good game tomorrow because we've played against each other a lot in the last two months. And to be honest, the teams haven't changed much.
"And not just playing against India. I think in the IPL, we're always playing against each other a lot. Everyone knows each other, how everyone plays, and how everyone thinks. So I think it's just a matter of who can handle the pressure first," De Kock said.
