Vaibhav Tripathi
Following a washout in the series opener, in Durban, which deprived emerging Indian cricket players of valuable playing-time, the team management will be hoping for clear weather in the second T20I against South Africa, on Tuesday, in Gqeberha, which was previously known as Port Elizabeth. Even the toss couldn’t take place in Durban on Sunday, and rain is forecast for the upcoming match as well. With limited games remaining before the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, scheduled between June 4-30 in the West Indies and USA, the Indian team management has a small window to experiment with players.
The urgency to fine-tune strategies and evaluate players becomes crucial with the T20 World Cup looming large and the restricted opportunities for trials. India are missing several key players, while South Africa’s top order and bowling lack experience.
India has been experimenting with a youthful T20I team, creating stiff competition for limited spots. Shubman Gill returns to open the batting. Yashasvi Jaiswal or Ruturaj Gaikwad is set to open with him. Following them are Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh and potential finisher Jitesh Sharma. Despite promising performances against Australia, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma might miss out. Ravindra Jadeja serves as the batting option at number seven, followed by four bowlers, none known for their batting prowess.
The young batting lineup faces a challenging test on South African pitches known for extra bounce. Kuldeep Yadav is expected to start, edging out Ravi Bishnoi, despite his colleague’s impressive display against Australia, propelling him to the top spot in T20I bowling rankings. With Deepak Chahar’s participation uncertain, Mukesh Kumar could seize another opportunity to solidify his place alongside Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj in the XI.
For the home side, Aiden Markram positions himself at number 3, while Heinrich Klaasen teams up with David Miller to form a strong middle-order. All three batters showcase versatility, excelling against both spin and pace, and possess the necessary power game.
For the critical number 6 spot, either Donovan Ferreira or Tristan Stubbs may be chosen to bolster the middle order. Both players are adept at hitting the ball long, but the think-tank would be looking at someone who can manoeuvre the ball in the middle overs against Indian spinners and accelerate during the latter part of the innings.
In their home conditions, the Proteas would rely on their inexperienced bowling attack, banking on Gerald Coetzee, Marco Jansen, Nandre Burger, and Lizaad Williams to contain the Indian batters. Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi serve as the primary spinning options, with Captain Markram prepared to contribute his off-spin if needed.
Time and Venue Details
December 10, 2023, 08:30pm IST, St George’s Park, Gqeberha
Expected Conditions
There’s a possibility of weather interruptions or delays in the match, but it’s unlikely to result in a complete washout as experienced in Durban. The Gqeberha pitch initially favours the batters, but as the game progresses, it offers assistance to spin bowlers. Historically, the team batting first has held an advantage, with the average score being 170 in the first innings and 159 in the second.
Teams
India: Jaiswal is expected to open the batting with Gill. Jitesh is likely to keep wickets.
Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.
South Africa: Matthew Breetzke is all set to open the batting with Hendricks. Burger could make his South Africa debut.
Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, Nandre Burger, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Match-up
Coetzee vs Jaiswal: Coetzee has the ability to bounce out the batters, and he will certainly look to hit the hard length to trouble Jaiswal. On the other hand, Jaiswal will look to attack the Proteas paceman.
Match Speak
I think they will come out and play a lot of aggressive cricket, which they do in the IPL, and they also have a lot of new faces and I’m looking forward to challenging myself against the best in the world. We’re not here to just fill the numbers, we’re here to win the series.
Matthew Breetzke.