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India have the top batter, the top three bowlers, and two of the top three totals in their T20I series against South Africa. What the home side don't have is the series lead. Thus they have no option: deny the South Africans victory in the penultimate match in Rajkot on Friday (June 17), or endure the charade of a dead rubber in Bangalore on Sunday.
The visitors kept composed heads under the pressure of a record chase to reel in a target of 212 in Delhi, and they were efficient in limiting the Indians to 148/6 in Cuttack. But India found their feet - in the first half of their innings and throughout South Africa's - to pull one back by a record margin in Visakhapatnam.
Considering the format's reputation for dishing up nothing but empty calorie cricket, this has been an intriguing rubber; more like a clash between skilled, disciplined welterweights than the heavyweight slugfests T20 was allegedly designed to deliver.
Ishan Kishan, the series' leading run-scorer, has hit the ball fearsomely hard but with as much elegance as power. No-one has taken more wickets than Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal. Bhuvneshwar, in particular, has made for riveting viewing with his unfailing ability to make the ball do his bidding on a bespoke length.
The South African subplot has been no less gripping. David Miller's matchwinning credentials are well established, but who would have thought Rassie van der Dussen would have batted his way out of the wet paper bag that was the initial stage of his innings to be Miller's most valuable partner in Delhi? In Cuttack, Quinton de Kock's absence because of a hand injury conjured an opportunity for Heinrich Klaasen - who took it in style, making his career-best score to put the visitors 2-0 up.
That India found a way to bounce back in Vizag was a blessing: one dead rubber would be bad enough; two would have been an awfulness that this keenly contested series wouldn't have deserved.
And here we are, on the eve of another instalment in the unfolding drama. This one might include De Kock, who was busy in the nets on Thursday - an indication that his hand has healed enough to hold a bat. Might it also feature the as yet uncapped Umran Malik, who lit up the IPL by taking 22 wickets in 14 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad, most of them with deliveries closer to 150 kilometres an hour than 140? Given India's resurgence in Vizag, where their attack did most of the winning, that seems unlikely.
But De Kock versus Malik... wouldn't that be something to see.
When:June 17, 2022; 7pm Local Time
Where: Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
What to expect: Only three T20Is have been played here. In October 2013, Australia's 201/7 wasn't enough to stop India winning by six wickets. Four years later New Zealand's 196/2 proved 40 runs too good for the home side. India won by eight wickets after restricting Bangladesh to 153/6. So there are runs in this pitch, but clever bowling can curb big scores.
==
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The visitors kept composed heads under the pressure of a record chase to reel in a target of 212 in Delhi, and they were efficient in limiting the Indians to 148/6 in Cuttack. But India found their feet - in the first half of their innings and throughout South Africa's - to pull one back by a record margin in Visakhapatnam.
Considering the format's reputation for dishing up nothing but empty calorie cricket, this has been an intriguing rubber; more like a clash between skilled, disciplined welterweights than the heavyweight slugfests T20 was allegedly designed to deliver.
Ishan Kishan, the series' leading run-scorer, has hit the ball fearsomely hard but with as much elegance as power. No-one has taken more wickets than Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal. Bhuvneshwar, in particular, has made for riveting viewing with his unfailing ability to make the ball do his bidding on a bespoke length.
The South African subplot has been no less gripping. David Miller's matchwinning credentials are well established, but who would have thought Rassie van der Dussen would have batted his way out of the wet paper bag that was the initial stage of his innings to be Miller's most valuable partner in Delhi? In Cuttack, Quinton de Kock's absence because of a hand injury conjured an opportunity for Heinrich Klaasen - who took it in style, making his career-best score to put the visitors 2-0 up.
That India found a way to bounce back in Vizag was a blessing: one dead rubber would be bad enough; two would have been an awfulness that this keenly contested series wouldn't have deserved.
And here we are, on the eve of another instalment in the unfolding drama. This one might include De Kock, who was busy in the nets on Thursday - an indication that his hand has healed enough to hold a bat. Might it also feature the as yet uncapped Umran Malik, who lit up the IPL by taking 22 wickets in 14 games for Sunrisers Hyderabad, most of them with deliveries closer to 150 kilometres an hour than 140? Given India's resurgence in Vizag, where their attack did most of the winning, that seems unlikely.
But De Kock versus Malik... wouldn't that be something to see.
When:June 17, 2022; 7pm Local Time
Where: Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rajkot
What to expect: Only three T20Is have been played here. In October 2013, Australia's 201/7 wasn't enough to stop India winning by six wickets. Four years later New Zealand's 196/2 proved 40 runs too good for the home side. India won by eight wickets after restricting Bangladesh to 153/6. So there are runs in this pitch, but clever bowling can curb big scores.
==
All posters please take note of the following guidelines for match threads on PakPassion:
1. No personal insults at other posters, players, officials, coaching staffs etc.
2. No making fun of player's, official's, coaching staff's names.
3. Do not add any references to media, their social media or post any pictures or screenshots from other sports websites.
4. Stick to commenting on this match. There is no need to bring other countries into the match discussion as there are plenty of other threads where those discussions can be added.
5. Report abuse. If you see any post which is inappropriate, report it. Do not respond to it
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