2nd T20I: Can South Africa bounce back against India?
As the Indian cricket team gears up to take on South Africa in the second T20I on Sunday, worries over their top order have emerged. Despite a resounding 61-run win in the series opener, powered by Sanju Samson's brilliant 107 off 50 balls, there are concerns over the reliability of other key batters. The team management would be especially worried about opener Abhishek Sharma's recent form. Here is the match preview.
Venue, broadcast details, timing and more
The St. George's Park in Gqeberha will host the second T20I on November 10 (8:30pm IST). The track here usually offers a balanced surface. Teams batting first and chasing have won four T20Is apiece here with 136 being the average first innings score. One can watch the match live on Sports18. The live streaming is available on the Jiocinema app and website.
Here is the head-to-head record
As far as the head-to-head record is concerned, 28 games have been played between the two sides. India have won 16, SA have claimed 11 wins. One match ended as no-result. The Men in Blue have won seven of the 10 T20Is against SA in the rainbow nation. The remaining three matches went in SA's favor.
Abhishek's form a concern for India
Abhishek's form has been patchy with scores of 0, 10, 14, 16, 15, 4, and 7 in the last few games. His only highlight was the century against Zimbabwe in Harare earlier this year. This inconsistency at the top could force India to rethink their options going forward. However, it is doubtful that there will be changes in the playing XI for the second T20I against South Africa.
Varma and Yadav need to step up
Tilak Varma, who scored a rapid 33 off just 18 balls in the first match, is under pressure to deliver bigger knocks. He has been largely unnoticed since his last appearance against Afghanistan in January. Captain Suryakumar Yadav also needs to step up after falling cheaply in the opening match. All-rounder Hardik Pandya's performance was below expectations, adding to India's concerns ahead of the second T20I against South Africa.
India's middle and lower order under scrutiny
India's middle-order, despite looking good on paper, failed to stitch partnerships in the opening match. The team lost six wickets for a mere 36 runs, slipping from a comfortable 166/2 to 202/8 by the end of their 20 overs. This collapse highlighted India's middle and lower order's fragility, something they will look to fix before the second T20I against South Africa.
India's bowling unit impresses in series opener
Unlike their batting worries, India's bowling unit was on fire in the series opener. They bundled out South Africa for a mere 141 in 17.5 overs. Varun Chakravarthy carried his brilliant form from the Bangladesh series with a stunning three-wicket haul, while Ravi Bishnoi was equally impressive with 3/28. The two spinners kept South Africa's strong batting lineup in check on a fairly flat Durban pitch.
South Africa face challenges in 2nd T20I
South Africa's defeat in the series opener was their second consecutive loss to India, after the T20 World Cup final defeat in June. The absence of key players like Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi from the squad has left the Proteas struggling without some of their most experienced campaigners. This will make the second T20I a daunting task for South Africa, especially considering their recent form.
Here are the probable XIs
South Africa (probable XI): Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Patrick Kruger, Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Nqabayomzi Peter. India (probable XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan.
