3 things India can do to defeat South Africa in 3rd T20I
India lost the second T20I against South Africa by five wickets in Gqeberha on Tuesday. As the first T20I was abandoned without a ball being bowled, the visitors will have to win the third and final T20I to draw the three-match series.
Despite losing both openers for ducks in the previous match, India were able to put up a good total of 180 runs on the board. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav stitched together good partnerships, first with Mumbai Indians teammate Tilak Verma and then with Rinku Singh.
South Africa needed 152 runs in 15 overs to win the match via the DLS method after rain played spoilsport. Reeza Hendricks, Matthew Breetzke, and Aiden Markram took the game away from the visitors in the first eight overs, as the scoreboard read 96/2 when the latter was dismissed. They reached the target with seven balls to spare.
Despite the defeat in Gqeberha, India will fancy their chances in the third T20I in Johannesburg. Here are three things they should do to defeat South Africa in the third and final T20I.
#1 Go with an unchanged XI
India have named a 17-man squad for the T20I series against South Africa, which many felt was excessive for a three-match affair. The only reason for this would be that Rahul Dravid and company wanted to try out different combinations for different matches.
However, the first match was washed out, which means six of those players are in danger of not featuring in any of the three matches. It will make more sense if India go with an unchanged XI for the final game of the series, as it is a must-win encounter.
Moreover, a lot of players played well in the second T20I, and would be harsh to drop them. Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were two of the worst performers in the side, but they deserve another chance due to their track record in recent times.
#2 Bat with the same intent
Although India lost a couple of early wickets in the loss to South Africa, the new batters kept being aggressive to ensure the run rate stayed healthy. This approach will reap rewards in the future, as the Men in Blue will more often than not out-bat other teams.
The same intent will be key to success in the 3rd T20I in Johannesburg. The pitches in South Africa are usually not very high-scoring and aid fast bowlers. Thus, the Indian batters must keep a good tempo.
If not for rain in the second T20I, the hosts would have struggled to chase down 180+ in 20 overs. A wet outfield in the second innings didn't allow the bowlers to grip the ball properly. A similar score without rain interference should put the Men in Blue in a superior position in the 3rd T20I.
#3 India could experiment with part-time bowlers
While giving the part-timers an over isn't ideal for India to win the third T20I, it will definitely be beneficial in the long run. They have opted for a five-bowler strategy in limited-overs cricket recently, especially with Hardik Pandya unavailable.
This is a very risky move, as good teams will target one or two bowlers, and the captain will not have any sixth bowling option to go to. Fortunately, the Suryakumar Yadav-led side are blessed with two top-order batters who have bowled in the past.
Yashasvi Jaiswal and Tilak Verma are part-time bowlers but haven't bowled much in international cricket yet. They will be even bigger assets for the team if they can roll their arms over now and then, and India should try them out in the upcoming game.