Markram and Santner set for key battle in T20 World Cup semifinal

South Africa captain Aiden Markram and New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner will lead their sides in the first T20 World Cup semifinal in Kolkata. With strong batting line-ups and quality spin attacks, the contest at Eden Gardens promises to be closely fought

Kolkata: South African skipper Aiden Markram will be asked probing questions by his New Zealand counterpart Mitchell Santner in what promises to be an intriguing battle between two talented captains in the first semifinal of the T20 World Cup here on Wednesday.

Not often do the captains of either side end up being the most prolific performers, and Markram vs Santner will be a contest that keeps the near-capacity crowd at Eden Gardens on the edge of their seats.

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The ICC rivalry between New Zealand and South Africa reached its peak during the 50-over World Cup semifinal in 2015 when the Black Caps edged out the Proteas in a nail-biting contest, leaving stars like Dale Steyn and AB de Villiers disappointed.

However, South Africa, under the guidance of Shukri Conrad, has developed into a strong side, having already won the World Test Championship last year and showing steely resolve.

While they have not won a major white-ball trophy so far, the ‘chokers’ tag is no longer part of their cricketing dictionary.

At the core of this clash are the two captains, not often the most celebrated or talked about, but tactically and technically better than many others.

Markram, with a strike rate of over 175 and 268 runs, has had a big impact on rival bowlers during the powerplay overs, while Santner, with an economy rate of 6.35, has kept the batters under control.

The Proteas, with a power-hitting line-up comprising Markram, Quinton De Kock, Dewald Brevis, Ryan Rickleton, Tristan Stubbs, David Miller and Marco Jansen, can trouble any team.

But Santner will have Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips and Cole McConchie, who have all performed well in unison.

Save for India, this is among the best spin attacks that the Proteas will face in the tournament, although England, with Liam Dawson and Rehan Ahmed, was also strong.

What New Zealand lack is a quality wrist spinner to challenge South Africa, as Ish Sodhi has not been consistent in the few games he has played so far.

On a good Eden Gardens track, South Africa would prefer to chase against a New Zealand line-up that played its Super Eights games on slow Sri Lankan tracks.

The pitch could allow Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell to aim for a 200-plus total, which may give them a chance to contain the Proteas.

One interesting aspect will be how effective Lungi Ngidi’s slower deliveries are on this track and whether his wide yorkers and slow leg cutters can keep the Black Caps batters in check.

For New Zealand, Lockie Ferguson’s first spell could decide the fate of the clash.

Overall, the first semifinal has all the ingredients for a thriller that will add colour to the ‘Holi Day’.

Squads:

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Lockie Ferguson, Mark Chapman, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Cole McConchie, James Neesham

South Africa: Aiden Markram (captain), Quinton De Kock, Ryan Rickleton, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, George Linde, Kwena Maphaka, Anrich Nortje, Jason Smith

Match starts: 7 pm