Kolkata, March 3 South African captain Aiden Markram will be questioned by his New Zealand counterpart, Mitchell Santner, in what promises to be an intriguing battle between two incredibly talented captains in the first semifinal of the T20 World Cup here on Wednesday.
It is not often that the captains of either side end up being the most prolific performers, and the Markram vs. Santner match will be one such encounter that will keep the near-capacity crowd at Eden Gardens on the edge.
The rivalry between New Zealand and South Africa reached its peak during the 2015 50-over World Cup semifinal, when the Black Caps edged out the Proteas in a nail-biting showdown, with players like Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers left scarred.
However, South Africa, under the guidance of Shukri Conrad, has developed into a formidable side, having already won the World Test Championship last year, showcasing steely resolve.
While they haven't won a major white-ball trophy so far, the "chokers" tag is no longer part of their cricketing vocabulary.
At the heart of this battle are the two captains, who are not always the most celebrated or talked about, but are tactically and technically much better than all those who are more highly regarded.
Markram, with a strike rate of over 175 and 268 runs, has had a devastating effect on rival bowlers during the powerplay overs, while Santner, with an economy rate of 6.35, has kept the batters on tenterhooks.
The Proteas, with a powerful batting lineup comprising Markram, Quinton de Kock, Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickleton, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, and Marco Jansen, can give any team sleepless nights.
However, Santner will have Rachin Ravindra (9 wickets at less than 7 ER), Glenn Phillips, Cole McConchie, who have all performed well in unison.
Apart from India, this will be the best spin attack that the Proteas will face in the tournament, although England with Liam Dawson and Rehan Ahmed was also strong.
What New Zealand lacks is a quality wrist spinner to challenge South Africa, as Ish Sodhi hasn't been particularly effective in the few games he has played so far.
On a fast Eden Gardens track, South Africa will aim to chase against a New Zealand lineup that played its Super Eights games on slower Sri Lankan tracks.
The fast track at Eden will allow Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips, and Daryl Mitchell to aim for a 200-plus total, giving them a chance to contain the Proteas.
One interesting aspect will be how effective Lungi Ngidi's slower deliveries are on this track, and whether his wide yorkers and slow leg cutters can keep the Black Caps batters at bay.
For New Zealand, Lockie Ferguson's first spell could decide the fate of the match.
In all, the first semifinal has the perfect ingredients for a thriller that will add colour to the 'Holi-Day'.
Squads:
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Lockie Ferguson, Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Cole McConchie, James Neesham.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (Captain), Quinton de Kock, Ryan Rickleton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje, Jason Smith.
Match starts: 7 pm.
