India vs South Africa: Markram Elects to Bowl First in Fifth T20I

Match Overview

In Ahmedabad, Gujarat, South Africa's captain Aiden Markram won the toss and chose to field first against India in the fifth T20I match on Friday.

India currently leads the five-match T20 series 2-1, following the cancellation of the fourth match in Lucknow due to heavy fog at the Ekana International Cricket Stadium.

Jasprit Bumrah replaces Harshit Rana in the Indian lineup, while Shubman Gill is sidelined due to injury, allowing Sanju Samson to step in.

Markram commented, “We are opting to bowl first. The pitch appears to have some dew, which should help the ball come onto the bat better later on. With the World Cup approaching, we have a lot to focus on, and we want to end this tour positively. Linde replaces Nortje in our squad.”

Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav expressed, “We were hoping to bat first. The pitch looks promising without dew, and we aim to set a solid score. The stadium is nearly full, and while the series is at stake, it’s also about enjoying the game. Bumrah is in for Harshit, Washi replaces Kuldeep, and Sanju is in for Gill, who has a minor injury.”

Teams:

South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram(c), Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman

India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Washington Sundar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh.