IND vs SA | South Africa’s Predicted XI for the 1st T20I in Dharamsala
After an incredibly disappointing World Cup campaign, South Africa will now turn their focus and attention to India, where they’ll be hoping to repeat their limited-over feats from 2015. With no Faf du Plessis, the onus will be on skipper Quinton de Kock to inspire the Proteas to a series win.
Openers
Reeza Hendricks: In the 2018 edition of the Mzansi Super League, Hendricks had a patch where he’d scored two hundreds and a 90 in a three-inning stretch, dispatching literally everything that came his way. With an average of over 36, Hendricks is an absolute monster in the shortest format of the game and coming on the back of two impressive knocks against the India ‘A’ side, the 30-year-old will feel extremely confident about making an impact in the match.
Quinton de Kock: The southpaw has suffered a steep decline in form over the course of the last 18 months and frankly, has barely been a shadow of his former self. However, cricket is a funny game and his elevation to captaincy might just be the spark he needs to resurrect his career. Moreover, India has always brought out the best in him, so maybe the real de Kock might just stand up come Sunday.
Middle-order
Rassie van der Dussen: Rassie van der Dussen was the shining light for the Proteas in the 2019 World Cup, and at times, almost single-handedly carrying a sinking ship. His style of batting might suggest that he’s a player suited more to more to 50-over cricket, but in fact, he possesses an average of almost 39 in T20 cricket and in MSL 2019, he finished as the highest run-getter, amassing no less than 469 runs. He will definitely be a key man if the Proteas are to have any chance of causing an upset.
Temba Bavuma: It is hard to associate Temba Bavuma with T20 cricket, but through sheer consistency and determination, the 29-year-old has found his way into the team. Having already gotten a fair assessment of the conditions thanks to his stint with the South Africa ‘A’ team, Bavuma will play an important role in the middle-order and would need to bat long in order to give more leeway to the likes of de Kock, Miller and Hendricks.
David Miller: In both the IPL and the World Cup, David Miller failed to live up to his reputation and the pressure will be on him - big time - when he walks out to bat tomorrow. In the absence of du Plessis, the southpaw is now the most experienced player of the team and he must ensure that he makes his experience count. Having also played in Dharamsala before, there is no better man than Miller for their proteas to rest their hopes on.
All-rounders
Dwaine Pretorius: In his only T20I innings - against Sri Lanka at Durban - Pretorius launched a scathing attack on the bowlers, smashing an unbeaten 77 to propel his team to victory. As he showed in the World Cup, he is no mug with the ball too and hence he will definitely be a handful for the Indians on Sunday. Perhaps his biggest challenge will be tackling the spinners.
Andile Phehlukwayo: Andile Phehlukwayo over the course of the last two years has been one of the most underrated cricketers going around. If you cast your mind back to Johannesburg in 2018, Phehlukwayo, in a rain-shortened game, scored a brilliant 11-ball 23 to guide South Africa home against India. With his uncanny knack to take wickets and break partnerships at the right time, Phehluwakyo might just turn out to be the player who turns the tide around in South Africa’s direction.
George Linde: The tall all-rounder was a handful for the Indians in the recently concluded unofficial ODIs, registering notable performances with both bat and ball. With the ability to hit a long ball and to bowl a stump-to-stump line with the ball, Linde will be more than useful in Indian conditions and will also add some much needed depth and firepower lower down the order for the Proteas.
Bowlers
Kagiso Rabada: KG Rabada set the IPL on fire earlier this year with his impeccable bowling, being hostile and consistent at the same time. No one would of course know what he’s capable of more than India, who have faced the wrath of his rampant spells many a time in the past. His role tomorrow would be to both dismantle India’s invincible top-order while also contain the power-hitters down the bottom, so he will definitely have his task cut-out.
Bjorn Fortuin: Similar to Linde, Fortuin is another one who packs a punch with both ball and bat, although his role primarily will be to keep the Indian batsman at bay. In the India ‘A’ series, he picked a total of four wickets and was extremely economical and often strangled the batters when they were looking for quick runs. But with explosive left-handers - Shikhar Dhawan and Rishabh Pant - in the lineup, Fortuin might just run out of fortune should he get his lines wrong.
Anrich Nortje: With seven wickets, Nortje finished as the joint-highest wicket-taker in the unofficial ODI series against India ‘A’ and will be heading into this series soaring with confidence. The Proteas missed his express pace big time in the World Cup, but now, the tearaway quick will be a welcome addition to the Proteas bowling line-up. With Dharamsala historically providing assistance to the pacers, he might just be the x-factor that South Africa need to get past the Indians on Sunday.
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