India look to continue winning momentum against South Africa and inch closer to semi-final spot
Skipper Rohit Sharma (left) and Virat Kohli congratulate each other during India’s win over The Netherlands at the SCG on Thursday. Pic/AFP
We might as well be in another country. It took more than five hours’ flying time to travel from Sydney to Perth, the capital of Western Australia that’s closer in time zone to several Asian countries than to most of Australia. Cricketing conditions at the Optus Stadium too are set to be vastly different from the rest of the country, unlikely to bear too much resemblance to what is the norm in the subcontinent.
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The Optus Stadium, which made its international debut with the second Test between Australia and India in December 2018, doesn’t inspire the same awe or reverence as the WACA ground, just 1.3 kilometres away and the scene of many a cricketing epic, though it is a modern marvel in every sense of the word. India and South Africa will spend less time admiring the behemoth and more on focussing on the immediate task in front of them, a top-of-the-table Group 2 Super 12 table with huge ramifications not just for them, but the others in their pool in the T20 World Cup.
No strangers here
India and South Africa are no strangers to each other in the 20-over format. This year alone, since June, the teams have played seven matches—the eighth was washed out—across two series in India, where the hosts edged a combined 4-3 score line. Obviously, the surface at the Optus will be decidedly dissimilar to most of the tracks the teams encountered in India, with the exception of Thiruvananthapuram late last month when India’s quicks scythed through the top order on a pitch generously aiding seam to restrict the visitors to 106-8.
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Big win over Bangladesh
Denied full points against Zimbabwe by the weather and coming off a massive win over Bangladesh, thanks to Rilee Rossouw’s hundred and a searing four-wicket burst on a slow SCG deck by Anrich Nortje, South Africa will fancy their chances even though this will be second game on the same track on double-header on Sunday, after the Pakistan-Netherlands clash. A South African win will be bad news for Pakistan, on the brink of elimination after two straight losses, and for once, all the support from across the border will be behind Rohit Sharma’s men.
India seem in reasonably good overall health, with everyone in the top five except KL Rahul getting at least one good hit. Like South African captain Temba Bavuma, Rahul is in the middle of an uncertain patch where he either fires on all cylinders (very occasionally) or withdraws inexplicably into his shell (more often). India will be hoping he returns to his inspired best against Nortje, Kagiso Rabada and Wayne Parnell, as skilful a pace attack as any going.
Seven
No. of completed T20 Internationals India and South Africa played this year. India won four, lost three, while one game was washed out at Bangalore
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