South Africa Tour of India: 2nd T20I- South Africa vs India: Preview, Match Details, Pitch Conditions and Updates

India are set to lock horns with South Africa in the second T20I of the five-match series on Sunday at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. Rishabh Pant-led India suffered a 7-wicket defeat in the first match of the series against South Africa. The Men in Blue would be looking to make a strong comeback.

On the other hand, South Africa, who have attained a 1-0 lead, would look to add another win on Sunday and put India under extreme pressure. Here’s a look at how both teams shape up ahead of an important clash.

Team News:

India: 

Despite posting a mammoth score of 211 runs on the board, India suffered a defeat. The bowlers were guilty of not bowling at the right areas. The likes of Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yuzvendra Chahal all went for plenty of runs. India conceded a lot of runs in the death over and thus, they might give an opportunity to Arshdeep Singh in the next game.

Players to watch out for:

1. Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan looked at his very best in the last innings. He played in an aggressive manner and provided India with a solid start. Kishan starred with the bat, scoring 76 runs in 48 balls at a strike rate of 158.

2. Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant too hit some outstanding shots and looked dangerous during his stay at the crease. He played a vital knock of 29 runs in 16 balls and had he stayed for a bit longer, India could have added 20-30 runs more to the total.

3. Hardik Pandya

Since the start of the Indian T20 League 2022, Hardik Pandya has looked like a completely different player. He is bowling beautifully and batting with a lot more authority. In the last game, he went for 16 runs in his 1 over but played a fearsome knock of 31 runs in just 12 balls with the bat.

Probable Playing XI:

Ishan Kishan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Hardik Pandya, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh

South Africa:

South Africa have taken a 1-0 lead in the series and would be brimming with confidence. They weren’t great with the ball but David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen’s heroics with the bat meant South Africa chased down a mammoth score pretty comfortably. Given that they have won the last game, they are unlikely to make a change in the playing XI.

1. David Miller

David Miller is the man in the form. He is the biggest bet with the bat, right now. Miller showed his class in the Indian T20 League 2022 and has carried that form into the ongoing series. He was adjudged as the Player of the Match in the last game for his scoring a match-defining knock of 64 runs in 31 balls.

2. Quinton de Kock

Quinton de Kock too has been in blistering form. He was the second highest run-getter for Lucknow in the Indian T20 League 2022 and loves playing against India. He didn’t look at his very best in the last game but you expect him to bounce back strongly.

3. Kagiso Rabada

Kagiso Rabada had a poor outing with the ball in the last game. However, there’s no denying that he is a world class bowler and you expect him to comeback strongly. He will be a man to watch out for:

Probable Playing XI:

Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Keshav Maharaj, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje

Match Details:

South Africa Tour of India: Match 2, India vs South Africa

Date: 12^th June 2022

Time: 7:00 PM

Venue: Barabati Stadium, Cuttack

Pitch Report

The second T20 international is scheduled to be played at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack. The pitch has variable bounce, which help the seamers. Also, spinners too get a lot of assistance from the surface. It’s isn’t a high scoring ground and anything between 160-180 should be a par score here.