India to take on South Africa in second T20I, focus on middle order

Sanju Samson looks to continue his domination of the bowlers but India need more stability in the top order

Gqeberha: Sanju Samson will look to continue his domination of the bowlers but India need more stability in the top order when they clash with South Africa in the second T20I South Africa, aiming to extend their superior run in the shortest format, here on Sunday.

Samson’s stunning 107 off 50 balls powered India to a commanding 61-run victory in the series opener, but the lack of runs from other key batters remains a concern for the visitors. India to need address this issue to ensure that the burden doesn’t fall too heavily on their in-form keeper-batter.

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The continued failure of opener Abhishek Sharma, who has squandered multiple opportunities, would be worrying the team management. Apart from his memorable 47-ball century against Zimbabwe in Harare earlier this year, Sharma has struggled for runs with scores of 0, 10, 14, 16, 15, 4, and 7 in recent outings. The dashing left-hander’s lack of consistency at the top of the order could prompt India to rethink their options moving forward.

While the team management is unlikely to make changes to the playing XI, it will be disappointed with Sharma’s continued failure, especially as India look for a second-line opening option after Yashasvi Jaiswal following Rohit Sharma’s eventual retirement from the format. Tilak Varma showed promise with a quick-fire 33 off just 18 balls in the first match but will need to convert such cameos into bigger knocks.

Varma has been largely off the radar since his last appearance against Afghanistan in January, and with competition for spots in the middle order heating up, the young batter will want to cement his place in the side. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav also got a start but fell cheaply, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya was unable to live up to his potential in the opening match.

India’s middle-order, which looked solid on paper, struggled to build partnerships as they lost six wickets for just 36 runs, slipping from a commanding 166/2 to 202/8 by the end of their 20 overs. This collapse highlighted the fragility of India’s middle and lower order, something that they will aim to address before the second T20I. In the bowling department, India were clinical as they restricted South Africa to just 141 in 17.5 overs in the opening match.

Varun Chakravarthy continued his excellent form from the Bangladesh series with a brilliant three-wicket haul, while Ravi Bishnoi was equally impressive, claiming 3/28. The two spinners did well to contain South Africa’s powerful batting lineup on a relatively flat Durban pitch.

India’s pace duo of Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan also played their part. With the bowling attack firing on all cylinders, India will be confident of another strong performance in the second T20I, where they will aim to take a 2-0 lead in the series. For South Africa, the loss was a hard blow, marking their second consecutive defeat to India after their loss in the T20 World Cup final in June. With key players such as Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Tabraiz Shamsi all missing from the squad, the Proteas are already struggling without some of their most experienced campaigners.

The absence of these senior players will make the second T20I an uphill battle for South Africa, particularly with their recent form. Having lost 0-3 to the West Indies and drawn a series against Ireland, the Proteas will need improved performances from their senior players, including captain Aiden Markram, David Miller, and Heinrich Klaasen.