3 reasons to worry for India after the T20I series vs South Africa
The five-match T20I series between India and South Africa did not end on the desired note as rain played spoilsport in the deciding encounter in Bengaluru on Sunday (June 19). The teams were tied at 2-2 heading into the final match, but only 3.3 overs were possible in the contest as the game had to be abandoned.
Both India and South Africa enjoyed their share of success in the series. The visitors took the early lead by clinching the first two matches by seven and four wickets, respectively.
Just when it seemed like the Proteas would run away with the series, the Men in Blue, led by Rishabh Pant in the absence of some senior players, hit back to win the next two games. A 48-run victory in Vizag was followed by a 82-run thrashing of the South Africans in Rajkot.
While there were a few positives for India from the T20I series, some causes of concern also emerged.
Here are three reasons to worry for the Men in Blue in the wake of the 2-2 draw.
#1 Rishabh Pant’s batting woes
The lack of runs from Rishabh Pant in the T20I format is beginning to become a major headache for India. While the keeper-batter has been fantastic in Test format and decent in ODIs, he has failed to make the desired impact in T20Is. Even in the IPL that preceded the series against South Africa, Pant failed to register a single fifty from 14 matches while leading the Delhi Capitals (DC).
Pant's performance in the series against the Proteas was even more disappointing. He failed to register a single score in excess of 30. What was worse was the fact that he fell into the same trap laid by the South Africans match after match. The bowlers bowled wide outside the off stump and Pant kept getting caught trying to go after those deliveries.
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In his 48-match T20I career, the left-hander has scored 748 runs at an average of 23.15 and a strike rate of 123.91. Not great numbers at all. It may be too early to decide whether or not Pant will make it to the T20 World Cup squad in Australia. If he fails to pull up his socks in upcoming matches, the Indian think tank might be forced to take a tough call.
#2 Shreyas Iyer’s lack of fluency
When Shreyas Iyer smashed three back-to-back fifties in the T20I series against Sri Lanka at home in February, he was truly in unstoppable mode. But bowlers seem to have applied the brakes on his batting in the last few months.
Like quite a few other big Indian names, Shreyas too struggled for consistency in the IPL. Leading the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he scored 401 runs in 14 games at a disappointing average of 30.85 and a strike rate of 134.56. He had a chance to improve his case for a berth in the T20 World Cup squad during the series against South Africa, but squandered the opportunity.
Shreyas got a couple of decent scores at the start of the series, but never looked like his assured self. He scored 36 off 27 balls in the first T20I and 40 off 35 in the second. Both those performances came in losing causes. Team India did fight back to win the next two matches against South Africa, but Shreyas contributed a total of 18 runs in the two games.
Undoubtedly, Shreyas is one of the most talented batters on the international scene at present. But India will be expecting better consistency from him leading up to the T20 World Cup. His short-ball woes will also be closely observed as they have been a problem for a while.
#3 Axar Patel’s ineffectiveness
In Ravindra Jadeja’s absence, fellow left-arm spinner Axar Patel had a great chance to present his case as a strong candidate for the T20 World Cup in Australia. But he failed rather badly. Axar has been a constant feature in India's playing XIs across formats over the last year-and-a-half. As such, an effiecient performance was expected from him.
Of course, Axar is not someone who will run through opponents unless he gets tailor-made pitches in home Tests. However, three wickets at an average of 35.33 and an economy rate of 8.25 are not numbers that excite. Even when not picking up wickets, Axar has been adept at keeping runs down in the past. That did not happen in the T20I series against South Africa. As a result, his resourcefulness was reduced to a great extent.
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The Indian think tank likes to have Axar in the playing XI because he offers a lot. He can bowl inside the powerplay and towards the death as well. On his day, he can be a dangerous hitter and he is a reasonably safe fielder to boot. But Axar’s confidence seems to have taken a dip in recent months. He also had a forgettable IPL 2022 campaign, claiming only six wickets in 13 matches at an average of 53.50.
With plenty of big tournaments coming up, Axar’s lack of potency is definitely a cause for concern for Team India.
Also Read: 3 gains for India from T20I series vs South Africa