Thiruvananthapuram: Another close series is expected as India and South Africa begin the T20I series as both sides make a final dash for World Cup preparations.
The first T20I match will be played here on Wednesday when things have changed a lot for both the teams since June they played against each other.
Virat Kohli seems to have come into his groove as he has cracked a century and a couple of fifties before this series. Surya Kumar Yadav and Captain Rohit Sharma also are coming back into their own zone.
Rohit, especially would be eyeing to get better off Kagiso Rabada who had dismissed him twice and has only scored 37 runs in 25 balls.
KL Rahul has been disappointing with the bat in the previous series against Australia and he would also be itching to make good contributions.
Luckily Arshdeep Singh and Harshal Patel will get a chance to impress against South Africa in the race for the third pacer option. So also, Rishabh Pant will get a go in the absence of Hardik Pandya, who has been rested for the South Africa series.
The management's preference of Dinesh Karthik over Pant also gives a peep into Rahul Dravid's World Cup plans. The Chennai star would love to grab the opportunity to stick to his adage of a finisher.
Yuzvendra Chahal would want to script a heroic show with the ball after his ordinary show against Australia. Quinton de Kock has been his bunny which could give him the right king of grist to grind. He had claimed De Kock's wicket 6 times in 39 deliveries he bowled to him.
Hardik Pandya and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have also reported to the NCA for conditioning-related work while Arshdeep Singh has linked up with the squad in Thiruvananthapuram.
India will be without the services of pacer Mohammad Shami and Deepak Hooda. While Shami has not recovered yet from Covid-19, Hooda is suffering from a back injury.
The All-India Senior Selection Committee has named Umesh Yadav as Shami’s replacement and Shreyas Iyer as a replacement for Hooda. Shahbaz Ahmed has also been added to the T20I squad.
Dravid's staff might give a chance to Ravichandran Ashwin, but replacement would be a big challenge.
For South Africa, the journey has been rosy without any thorns. Out of the 18 T20Is the Proteas have played, they have won 13 of them. After sharing the honours in a five match series against India in June, they won series against England and Ireland.
The headache for them however is making way for skipper Temba Bavuma who returns to the national side after recovering from an elbow injury that he suffered on South Africa tour to India last June.
South Africa also faces plenty of plenty. Either Reeza Hendricks or Rilee Rossouw; Heinrich Klaasen or Tristan Stubbs; Marco Jansen or Dwaine Pretorius; and Rabada or Anrich Nortje, would get a chance to play in a match.
All these players are high-quality players and match-winners, and it would be a tricky situation for Bavuma to make some tough choices. However this shows the strength of the side with tough competition within the team.
Wayne Parnell would be keen to go all guns blazing against India's top order, who mostly bat right-handed and had been uncomfortable with left-arm pace.
In the batting department, South Africa will bank on Quinton de Kock and David Miller to go one-up against in-form Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah who is yet to get back his rhythm.
India squad for South Africa T20Is: Rohit Sharma (Captain), KL Rahul (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Dinesh Karthik (wicket-keeper), R. Ashwin, Yuzvendra Chahal, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah, Umesh Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Shahbaz Ahmed. (Inputs from UNI)
