Ahmedabad, February 21 – Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma’s strategy of playing defensively rather than aggressive strokes will be tested by a strong South African team, which seems ready to exploit any weaknesses in the Indian team during their opening match of the T20 World Cup on Sunday.
The South African team boasts a formidable bowling attack led by Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, and Aiden Markram, and the defending champions will be aware of the challenge.
The two teams have played six matches in the last two months, and it will be interesting to see which team comes out on top.
India have not faced strong opposition in the group stage, but the home team is aware that their batting performance needs improvement.
Except for opener Ishan Kishan (with two half-centuries and a strike rate of 202), the other three batsmen in the top four have not been consistent.
Abhishek Sharma has struggled, with three ducks, and Suryakumar and Tilak have also had difficulties adapting to the conditions.
India's scoring has relied on the power of Hardik Pandya (strike rate of 155) and Shivam Dube (strike rate of 178).
With Abhishek being dismissed twice, it will be interesting to see if captain Markram decides to bowl spin during the Powerplay.
While Abhishek's form is a concern, Tilak's inconsistent batting throughout the tournament is also a worry.
Against Pakistan, he scored 25 off 24 balls, against Namibia 25 off 21 balls, and against Netherlands 31 off 27 balls.
His average strike rate is just above 120, significantly lower than his career average of 141.
Except for his outstanding 84 off 49 balls against the US, where two of their bowlers were injured, Suryakumar has also struggled against Pakistan and Netherlands.
His average strike rate is 136, much lower than his career average of 163.
India, with their eight batsmen and aggressive approach, cannot afford to have two batsmen who struggle to score freely on difficult pitches.
In tournaments like the T20 World Cup, sometimes caution is the better approach.
The overall quality of this team is undeniable, which is why good teams can score over 200 on good days, and this Indian team has the potential to score close to 200 on average days.
However, what makes India a strong contender is their bowling attack, with Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakravarthy taking eight wickets in 20 overs.
In the initial round, none of the four teams, including a weaker Pakistan side, could successfully challenge them.
Chakravarthy has taken nine wickets in four games with an impressive economy rate of 5.16, and Bumrah has taken six wickets at a rate of six runs per over.
However, against a strong batting lineup, which includes players like Quinton de Kock, Markram, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickleton, David Miller, and Marco Jansen, the entire bowling unit will need to perform well.
The South Africa match will be a test of how this Indian team will perform in the later stages of the tournament.
Regarding changes, India are expected to decide between Kuldeep Yadav and Arshdeep Singh, and Axar Patel will return after a one-match rest to replace Washington Sundar. The match will be played on a black soil pitch.
For South Africa, Jansen, Ngidi, and Maharaj, who were rested against the UAE, will be back in the playing XI.
Squads:
India: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Sanju Samson (wk), Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickleton, Dewald Brevis, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Keshav Maharaj, Corbin Bosch, Anrich Nortje, Kwena Maphaka, George Linde, Jason Smith.
Match starts at 7 pm.
