Deadline: September 22, 2019 at 7 PM IST
Venue: M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru
Pitch report
The average first and second innings scores here read 158 and 147 respectively.
If anything, runs galore in Bengaluru. However, at the same time, spinners have had fun grabbing wickets. Yuzvendra Chahal’s 6 for 25 are the best bowling figures at the venue.
Weather forecast
This part of preview may discourage you a bit. The precipitation is as high as 60%, making it another rain-affected match of the year. Fingers crossed!
Teams
Probable XI for India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya/Rahul Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini/Khaleel Ahmed
Probable XI for South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (c & wk), Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje/Junior Dala, Tabraiz Shamsi
NOTE: Pick your fantasy cricket team wisely
Players to watch out for
3 of Virat Kohli’s 5 IPL centuries have come at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. At the international level, he has a highest score 72* here.
Quinton de Kock represented Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) this year, and was seen smashing runs in heaps. Having already blasted a half-century at Mohali, his must be brimming with confidence.
Deepak Chahar strangled the South Africans with his disciplined bowling, sniping up 2 wickets and conceding a mere 22 runs. Before this T20I, his had taken 3 for 4 in the Caribbean. If anything, he is cementing his place for the upcoming 2020 WT20.
Temba Bavuma took the blame for not finishing on a high. He did score 49 runs, but they came at a strike rate of 113.9. To put things into perspective, he was a bit harsh on himself. With wickets falling at regular intervals at the other end, there was very little that he could have done to scale up the run rate.
KL Rahul may have to keep playing the role of a backup opener. Shikhar Dhawan is here to stay, and he isn’t throwing away any opportunities. It was his blistering innings of 40 runs that gave Kohli the freedom to play his shots.
Barring Andile Phehlukwayo and Tabraiz Shamsi, the South African bowlers had a tough time keeping a leash on the Indian batsmen. Phehlukwayo especially looked threatening, and almost dismissed Kohli once.
Match prediction
South Africa need to take wickets and keep India on their toes — the only way to at least put up a fight. Otherwise, another win for the rampaging Indians is on the cards.
Squads
India: Manish Pandey, KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Rahul Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini, Khaleel Ahmed
South Africa: Beuran Hendricks, George Linde, Reeza Hendricks, Quinton de Kock (c & wk), Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo, Bjorn Fortuin, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Junior Dala, Tabraiz Shamsi
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