India vs South Africa, T20 World Cup: A proper test of Men in Blue's title credentials

Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, Rilee Rossouw — that’s three centuries for South Africa in their last four T20Is. Three of them have been completed games, and pointedly all three hundreds have come in those matches not affected by rain.

Two of those three knocks were played against India. Yes, in their final buildup to this 2022 T20 World Cup, India conceded quite a lot of runs to the Proteas. Herein cynics could argue that India won that T20I series with ease. That would be a cynical viewpoint, and here’s why.

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Take a look at the South African squad for this World Cup. Quiton de Kock, David Miller, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen, Tristan Stubbs, Tabraiz Shamsi, Marco Jansen, Rilee Rossouw, Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi.

Barring Temba Bavuma, Reeza Hendricks and Keshav Maharaj, they are 12 out of 15 players from its T20 World Cup squad who are currently contracted in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Not to mention, almost all of them also ply their trades across various other T20 franchises. Truth be told, there is a handsome demand for South African talent in franchise cricket.

They may not be bestselling names like the Australians, or protected property like the English players. Hell, they are not even as flashy as the T20 stars from the Caribbean. But the Proteas do a job. They help build franchise squads and plug important holes in any T20 roster.

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De Kock covers two spots — keeper and opener — wherever he goes. Gujarat Titans anointed Miller their chief finisher despite his uneven performances in the past. Rabada and Nortje had powered the Delhi Capitals’ bowling attack. So much so that the franchise couldn’t retain both and Punjab picked up Rabada at some cost (Rs 9.25 crore). Who’s to say Nortje wouldn’t have commanded a similar auction price?

Also read: Why Pakistan would want India to win against South Africa

Capitals then got Ngidi to replace Rabada. Shamsi has been RCB’s go-to man and has featured for Rajasthan Royals as well. Markram, Klaasen, Jansen, Rossouw — are international players all, and they do a firm job of squad building. Why, Mumbai Indians took it a step further by investing in the young Stubbs (as also Dewald Brevis, who misses this World Cup by just a whisker).

Look across other franchises, or across teams from other leagues, and you can do a similar recounting for the other franchises — the squad-building depth would come to the fore again. By some reckoning, the Proteas are a new fuelling station for the global T20 demand, perhaps replacing the West Indies juggernaut.

Acceleration & partnership with @imVkohli ⚡️
Completing 5⃣0⃣ with a SIX 💪
Keeping things tight with the ball 👌@surya_14kumar & @BhuviOfficial chat as #TeamIndia beat Netherlands in the #T20WorldCup. 👍 👍 - By @RajalArora

Full interview 🎥🔽 #INDvNEDhttps://t.co/uEDlR6rMpf pic.twitter.com/x0p2wuMd6t

— BCCI (@BCCI) October 28, 2022

In turn, it amounts to invaluable experience on the T20 stage, similar to perhaps what the Indian players have and arguably stronger even. It is very commonplace to quote the IPL as a source of India’s rise through the international cricketing charts. That South African cricket has not risen in a similar manner is down only to administrative frailties.

So, what does it mean in terms of India’s upcoming match-up in Perth? For one, it is a true test of the Indian challenge in this T20 World Cup. Thus far, the Men in Blue have tided over Pakistan and the Netherlands, which isn’t to be ignored.

Even so, the Pakistan game stood out on its own, as most such encounters against the neighbouring arch-rivals do in a World Cup situation. The 2021 loss had charged it up even further to what was an astronomically emotional setting, tided over by Virat Kohli’s magical knock.

Did India perform like world-beaters in that game though? Ask yourself, and the candid answer would be no. Leave aside Kohli’s heroics and Hardik Pandya’s histrionics, and there was only the new ball bowling to cheer about. The death overs, India’s perennial weakness, proved costly and the top-order failed against quality fast bowling.

Also read: Can't drop Rahul on basis of two bad innings, says batting coach Rathour

Thereafter the Netherlands game was useful from two perspectives. One, it was a good workout that garnered two points. And two, it was a low-intensity encounter, which punctured India’s charged-up situation post the Pakistan win. The latter bit is more important from the tournament perspective.

For, India now come face to face with an emotionless opponent that is properly established in these conditions. In both their games, South Africa had their opponents under the cosh. Yes, they conceded 80-odd to Zimbabwe but they were also 51-0 in three overs in reply when rain intervened. And the ease with which they swept aside Bangladesh, on a pitch suited to the latter’s liking, was more than noticeable.

India and South Africa both played on the same day in Sydney, and there was a common theme. Both teams batted first, in order to make use of the conditions, and match context on a flatter Sydney deck. The pitch at Perth is another one true for batting, but perhaps it will resemble the Melbourne wickets more than the SCG one. This variation in conditions could influence how both teams approach the game, particularly with respect to the batting first approach.

For India, it is more of a contextual thing, as the team is traditionally a chasing side. They are simply more comfortable and feel more in control of proceedings when chasing. For South Africa, it is more about playing to their strength – putting a total up and then unleashing their bowling line-up. This aspect would be at stake at the toss. And the team that is forced to, or desires to, come out of its comfort zone, ought to come out on top.

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