Venue – Greenfield International Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram
Date: Wednesday, September 28
BetXchange Odds:
By The Numbers
2-2
If it feels like we have been here recently, it is because we have. This T20 World Cup warm-up series is the second time South Africa’s shortest format players will face India on their own soil this year. The first five-match series was played out in June, with South Africa winning the first two contests before India roared back with two wins of their own. We were all set for a captivating finish to the series in Bangalore, but the match was called off after just 21 balls as rain washed out the rest of the day’s play.
59 Days
It will have been 50 days since South Africa beat England in a T20I on July 31, when the first ball is delivered in Thiruvananthapuram. The Proteas played in two more T20Is the week following that match against Ireland, but compared to many other countries at the T20 World Cup, it feels like their preparation has started a little late. This is a team that – by and large – knows what it is with players comfortable in their roles. Even so, it would have been nice to see this series have a couple more matches to knock off a little of the collective rust.
2-1
South Africa may have been To20 dormant for the best part of two months, but India is coming into this right off the back of a series against Australia that went from September 20 to September 25. India seems to have a habit of dropping the first match in a series at home this year, with Australia picking up a four-wicket win in Mohali. India, however, is never down for long in the T20I world, and they are clearly in good form as they took the next two matches by six wickets apiece to win the series 2-1.
India
India has some Covid-19 issues – yes, they are still around – with Mohammed Shami having tested positive a week ago. This makes his availability unclear – he might miss the first match and then be back for the others – and as a result, the Indians have Umran Malik on standby in case Shami cannot yet return to play.
Shami is an important cog in the India side, and the team lacks pace in their attack without his arm. Given that the pitches in Australia will accentuate the need for pace, Shami needs to get a run out against the Proteas.
South Africa
South Africa has dominated T20s against India and hasn’t lost a series since 2018 against their hosts here. South Africa is basically at full strength with pace bowlers Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje – along with captain Temba Navuma – all back in the side. It is a strong squad, especially given the form of batsmen Heinrich Klaasen and Reeza Hendricks.
Best Bets
We noted above that India has a habit of losing its first match in a series. This makes South Africa attractive at 33/20. The problem is that this won’t feel like the first match for India as they roll right into it after beating Australia. Because of this – and the Proteas’ lack of T20s recently – India at 5/10 is the way to lean.
