India will host South Africa in their opening Super Eights clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Both teams have won all four of their matches so far in the competition and will be hoping to keep up with the momentum. However, each teams have their respective concerns, particularly India, who are yet to play their best cricket in the tournament.
Young opener Abhishek Sharma arrived at the T20 World Cup with immense expectations as he was named as one of the players to watch out for, but the Punjab batter has flopped to get going so far. With three consecutive ducks to his name, Abhishek is currently overburdened pressure and the best way to release is with a quickfire knock against the Proteas.
Tilak Varma and Suryakumar Yadav’s strike rate in the middle order is slightly concerning as well. Both players have played the role of an anchor in the last couple of games, which has affected India’s strike rate in the middle overs. However, the bowlers have done a commendable job, particularly Varun Chakravarthy, who has claimed nine wickets so far.
For South Africa, consistency remains an issue. Dewald Brevis’ inability to convert his starts is also a bit problematic. However, the team management is not much bothered, as a special consultant recently termed him the ‘X-factor’. There’s plenty of room for improvement on the bowling front as well. Meanwhile, Kagiso Rabada, who was rested in the previous game against UAE, is expected to return to the playing XI.
Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad, Pitch Report
The surface at the Narendra Modi Stadium has been one of the better ones in the ongoing tournament. It’s not really a batter’s paradise, like it’s seen in the IPL, but a high-scoring contest is expected. Anything around 190 could be decisive. Meanwhile, bowling first will be ideal as the dew is expected to play a part in the second innings. However, in the pre-match press conference, Suryakumar went on to call the toss an ‘overrated’ affair in modern T20 cricket.
Also Read:
</div>
