India are 39/3 after five overs after Kagiso Rabada took the wicket of India’s Suryakumar Yadav.
India’s run rate has declined as it keeps losing wickets at frequent intervals.
It began at 15 runs per over after the first over was bowled by South Africa’s Marco Jansen
It dropped to around 7.5 runs per over after five overs.
In the second over of the match, Keshav Maharaj struck twice piling pressure on India who were off to a flying start thanks to some quick boundaries scored by Virat Kohli and Sharma.
Rohit Sharma departed for 9 runs off 5 balls, caught by Heinrich Klaasen off Keshav Maharaj’s bowling. Virat Kohli remains at the crease, not out with 14 runs off 6 balls, maintaining a strike rate of 233.33. Rishabh Pant faced 2 balls but was dismissed without scoring, caught behind by Quinton de Kock off Maharaj.
Suryakumar Yadav also fell cheaply, caught by Klaasen off Kagiso Rabada for 3 runs off 4 balls. Axar Patel is now at the crease, supporting Kohli, with 8 runs off 6 balls.
In a crucial decision ahead of the ICC T20 World Cup Final at Kensington Oval, India won the toss and elected to bat first against South Africa. This strategic move underlines India’s intent to set a challenging total and apply pressure early on in the match.
The stage is set for a thrilling finale as India and South Africa prepare to square off in the 2024 T20 World Cup final at the Kensington Oval on Saturday. This pivotal match marks India’s first return to the T20 World Cup final since their 2014 loss to Sri Lanka and offers them a shot at their first ICC trophy in over a decade.
Having narrowly missed out on major titles in recent years, including the World Test Championships in 2021 and 2023 and last year’s ODI World Cup, India is under significant pressure to clinch the win. Conversely, South Africa, often dubbed as “chokers” in cricketing circles due to their history of faltering in crucial matches, has a chance to rewrite their legacy in their first-ever ICC World Cup final appearance.
India Line-up:
- Rohit Sharma (c)
- Virat Kohli
- Rishabh Pant (wk)
- Suryakumar Yadav
- Shivam Dube
- Hardik Pandya
- Ravindra Jadeja
- Axar Patel
- Kuldeep Yadav
- Arshdeep Singh
- Jasprit Bumrah
South Africa Line-up:
- Quinton de Kock (wk)
- Reeza Hendricks
- Aiden Markram (c)
- Heinrich Klaasen
- David Miller
- Tristan Stubbs
- Marco Jansen
- Keshav Maharaj
- Kagiso Rabada
- Anrich Nortje
- Tabraiz Shamsi
Pitch and weather conditions:
The pitch at Kensington Oval, known for early movement and extra bounce, will play a critical role. Heavy rain is forecast for the day, which could disrupt play and influence strategy decisions, especially if the toss-winning team opts to bowl first to exploit the conditions.
Key match-ups to watch:
1. Suryakumar Yadav vs South African Pace Attack: India’s batters, including Suryakumar Yadav, are known to favour facing pace early on. Kagiso Rabada has a history of dismissing both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in T20s, highlighting a key battle to watch in the powerplay.
2. Spin Dynamics: South Africa may consider introducing Keshav Maharaj’s left-arm spin in the powerplay to counter India’s aggressive batting. Maharaj has been effective in the early overs, posing a challenge with his economy and wicket-taking ability against top-order batsmen like Kohli and Rohit.
3. Middle Overs Challenge: Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller, known for their proficiency against spin, will face a stern test against India’s spin trio of Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, and Ravindra Jadeja. Miller has had mixed success against Kuldeep, while Klaasen has struggled against Jadeja in previous encounters.
4. Bowling Strategies: South Africa’s decision between relying on Tabraiz Shamsi’s spin prowess or injecting the pace of Ottneil Baartman adds a strategic dimension. Shamsi’s experience and recent form versus Baartman’s pace and death bowling expertise present a dilemma for South African management.