India Aims for Series Victory Against South Africa in Final T20 Clash
Final T20 Match Preview
India is looking to conclude their challenging home series against South Africa on a high note as they prepare for the fifth and final T20 International on Friday. This series has revealed some vulnerabilities in the Indian squad and raised tough questions regarding player selections.
After suffering a 0-2 defeat in the Test series, India rebounded by winning the ODI series and currently leads the T20I series 2-1, following the abandonment of the fourth match due to inclement weather in Lucknow.
For head coach Gautam Gambhir, the fact that India cannot lose the series is a relief, especially as team leaders Suryakumar Yadav and Shubman Gill face their own challenges with the T20 World Cup approaching in less than two months.
Once ranked as the world’s top player, Suryakumar's recent performance has significantly declined, as he has gone 18 innings in 20 matches this year without scoring a half-century, averaging just 14.20 with a total of 213 runs. Each of his failures adds to the pressure on the Indian team.
The situation is further complicated by Gill's recent struggles. Although his return as vice-captain in T20Is was seen as a potential motivator for Suryakumar, Gill's lackluster performance and a recent toe injury will keep him out of the final match, prompting India to consider Sanju Samson as a replacement.
Gill had previously missed most of the Test series due to a neck injury sustained in the first match in Kolkata, which underscored the increasing demands on him in Indian cricket across all formats.
Samson has primarily batted at the top of the order, where he has excelled, scoring three T20I centuries and one half-century in 14 innings. If Gill is unavailable for the final match, Samson will be eager to seize the opportunity.
India's squad remains stable, with all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube participating in all three matches thus far. In the bowling department, Arshdeep Singh is finding his rhythm and developing a partnership with Harshit Rana.
Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the third T20I for personal reasons, has rejoined the team ahead of the fourth match. However, the batting-friendly pitch may pose a challenge for Varun Chakravarthy, who has been the standout bowler for India with six wickets.
For South Africa, who have had an inconsistent performance in the T20I series, Friday's match presents a chance to finish on a positive note by drawing the series against India. They may consider reinstating Aiden Markram in the top order in place of Reeza Hendricks, who has struggled to find his form.
Additionally, the Proteas will be looking for a resurgence from the young and talented Dewald Brevis, who has had a disappointing series so far. They have also missed the explosive batting of Marco Jansen, which contributed to the competitiveness of the ODI series, although Lungi Ngidi and Ottneil Baartman have performed well with the ball.
Teams:
India: Suryakumar Yadav ©, Shubman Gill (vc), Sanju Samson (wk), Jitesh Sharma (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Shahbaz Ahmed, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
South Africa: Aiden Markram ©, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Corbin Bosch, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, George Linde, Ottneil Baartman, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla.
The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM IST.