India vs South Africa Match Prediction: Who will win the 4th T20I match?
India have won 23 of their 25 T20I matches in 2024. South Africa are winless in their last seven bilateral T20I series and won't be able to overturn the 2-1 deficit they currently hold against the Men in Blue. The fourth T20I, on paper, should have one team as the heavy favorites.
But that isn't necessarily the case. Despite their bilateral form being far from promising, South Africa had an excellent run to the final of the 2024 T20 World Cup. There, India managed to cap off their incredible form in the format with a come-from-behind win.
So there's a lot of context heading into the fourth T20I, which will be played in Johannesburg on Friday, November 15. South Africa will want to avoid a series defeat in front of their energetic home crowd, while India will be hell-bent on not letting their advantage slip and ensuring that they keep their excellent run under Suryakumar Yadav going.
The series has, so far, produced plenty of memorable moments. More are on the cards for Friday. Which team will come out on top?
IND vs SA 2024: Johannesburg should favor the visitors
The India vs South Africa series has been decided by the venues in question, to a decent extent. The visitors have a clear advantage in the bowling attack, thanks largely to their world-class spin tandem of Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi.
The Proteas were able to overcome their bowling shortcomings on a tricky wicket in Gqeberha, but the other two matches on relatively batting-friendly surfaces have gone India's way.
The same could be the case on Friday. Johannesburg is expected to produce a fairly flat wicket, with scores expected to hover around the 200-run mark. The Men in Blue have also lengthened their batting with the inclusion of Ramandeep Singh while keeping the Varun-Bishnoi pairing intact.
South Africa's bowlers have blown hot and cold in the series so far, and so have their batters. Despite the likes of Heinrich Klaasen seemingly finding form, they're still penciled in as the underdogs for any contest that is played on a belter. Even the toss, which has gone the hosts' way throughout the series, hasn't helped matters for them.
Anything can happen in a game of cricket, but India should be able to get over the line on Friday.
Prediction: India to win the 4th T20I vs South Africa.