3 things to look forward to in the 3rd India vs South Africa T20I ft. a Centurion run-fest
India and South Africa have played out an entertaining series so far. While the Men in Blue managed to clinch the opening encounter by 61 runs, the hosts roared back in the second clash to secure a thrilling three-wicket victory that leveled the scores.
The third T20I of the four-match assignment will be played in Centurion on Wednesday, November 13. The losing team will no longer be able to win the series outright, meaning that it will be a high-stakes encounter for both sides.
The series has already thrown up plenty of interesting moments, including a stellar century from Sanju Samson and a lower-order rescue act from Tristan Stubbs. Varun Chakaravarthy's form has also been a standout, with the spinner having picked up eight wickets in the two matches so far.
A similarly action-packed encounter can be expected on Wednesday.
India’s squad for 4 T20Is against South Africa: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.
On that note, here are three things to look forward to in the third T20I between India and South Africa.
#3 Centurion is bound to throw up the best batting wicket of the series so far
Durban and Gqeberha are not known for being the best batting wickets in the Rainbow Nation. Although the series opener managed to produce a 200-plus score from the visitors, it certainly wasn't a batting beauty.
When the caravan moves to Centurion, however, runs can be expected to flow. The par score at this venue is just short of 190, and the SA20 league has proven that the ground can produce some absolute run fests.
A true wicket, with good bounce along with short square boundaries, is likely to entice batters from both teams into batting at a tempo that hasn't been seen in the series so far. India and South Africa are high on power-hitters throughout their lineup, and an entertaining clash is on the cards.
#2 Can Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen get back among the runs?
While South Africa certainly have plenty of power and ability in their middle order, a couple of players haven't been in the best of form lately. Heinrich Klaasen has endured a lean patch in international cricket and South Africa's domestic T20 competition over the last month, while Aiden Markram has struggled to buy a run in the shortest format for quite a while now.
Klaasen and Markram are two of the team's most important players as they possess the ability to take on both pace and spin. Their performances will be watched closely as the Proteas look to bounce back from their loss in the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Both players are far too good to be out of the runs for long, and it'll be interesting to see whether they can use Centurion's batting conditions to their advantage.
#1 Will Suryakumar Yadav join the party?
South Africa aren't the only team with concerns in the batting department. Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has averaged in the mid-30s since taking over the reins of the T20I side, which is a sharp fall from the heights he reached over the first three years of his international career.
India definitely won't be worried about the form of Suryakumar, who has proven time and again that he is one of the world's best T20 batters. At the same time, however, they will be keen on seeing their skipper shine, with him not having made any notable contributions in the two games of the series thus far.
A Suryakumar special is slightly overdue, and Wednesday might be the day we get to see it.