After India rolled over South Africa in the first T20I in Cuttack, the teams have now moved over to Chandigarh in Punjab. Looking back on the first game, it was a complete domination by the Indian team, and Hardik Pandya was the star of the show. Scoring 59 not out when the team was in trouble at 48/3 and then taking the total to 175 runs, Pandya made a fitting comeback to the Indian setup.
While there have been plenty of fine performances, throughout the limited-overs series, there has been one hot topic of discussion – dew. In the ODI series, dew played a major factor in deciding the victor of the game. While India saved the series 2-1, it could have gone either way. Teams batting second got an undue advantage due to dew.
Things have eased out when it comes to the T20I series. While dew persists, the playing field will be similar if not the same during the span of 40 overs of the game. But as the action moves up north, where winter has come, dew will play a major role at the new PCA stadium in Mullanpur. This is the first men’s international game that the venue will host.
During the IPL, the surface of the stadium offered equal contest between the bat and ball. The pitch packs a punch as back in the IPL we’ve seen both high scoring games and some low- scoring thrillers. It will be the perfect setup for what promises to be a series-deciding game. The city, while not at its coldest, is experiencing temperatures of 22° maximum and 9° minimum. After the sun goes down, there is a steep drop in the temperature which will result in accumulation of dew on the field. On the other hand, a drop in air quality compared to Cuttack will also be a change in relation to the conditions for the players.
Traditionally teams chasing at the venue have had better results than the team batting first. Four out of the six games played at the venue have been won by the chasing team during the IPL. The surface also seems to progressively offer some assistance to the spinners, bringing Varun Chakaravarthy and Axar Patel – the dangerous spin duo – into the game.
While India looks to be in control of the series after bundling out South Africa for their lowest total ever in T20Is, the management will have its intentions set on settling the playing XI. The home T20I World Cup is only a couple months away and there are still some concerns with regard to India’s playing XI.
Up top, it’s the deputy captain – Shubman Gill, who has been lacklustre, failing to bring in impact with the bat. Then it’s the skipper, Suryakumar Yadav, who doesn’t look rusty but has been unable to score impactful runs. With Pandya back in the fray, the team has been immensely bolstered but some spots might still be up for grabs. Has Jitesh Sharma solidified his position ahead of the World Cup or is the door still ajar for Sanju Samson? And last but not the least, is the management satisfied with Shivam Dube’s impact or can Rinku Singh still meander his way in?
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