India vs South Africa, first T20I: Match prediction - Who will win today's match?
After a successful tour of the West Indies, India will kick start their home season when they take on the visiting South Africa. Despite the lack of experience in their bowling attack, India convincingly managed to push aside Windies in their home conditions.
Virat Kohli led will take on the Proteas in three T20Is and three Tests. South Africa are a team in need of a miracle to get back some spunk in their game. They need to come out of what had been a disastrous World Cup 2019 campaign. Lots of players played well below expectations, and this will be Quinton de Kock's biggest challenge as the T20I captain.
On the other hand, India have reinforced their overall balance of their team with the inclusion of the hard-hitting Hardik Pandya in the side. Hardik would be eager to make a mark as he was missing from action for the full tour of West Indies. He has also been ignored for the Tests against South Africa, so he would want to make a point or two in the T20Is.
India's biggest strength lies in their top three batsmen- Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. With an eye on the 2020 ICC World T20, it makes perfect sense to slot in KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in the middle order to support the free spirited Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya.
The visitors are a team in transition and would rely heavily on their skipper Quinton de Kock and David Miller- two players who have substantial IPL experience to guide and hold the team together. On paper, the hosts look far superior and would start as overwhelming favourites to win tonight's game.
If there is a chink in their armour, it's the inexperienced fast bowlers for the hosts. Deepak Chahar and Navdeep Saini are definitely talented players but the question is how will they fare without the experience of Bhuvneshwar Kumar to guide them? Can they overcome that pressure and deliver?
It's going to be a trial for the upcoming ICC World T20 for both teams but the Proteas have lots to prove in their transition period. In what could be a rain affected chilly day at Dharamshala, one hopes for a close contest between bat and ball.
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