Post-Series Analysis: India vs South Africa
India beat South Africa 2-1 in their 3-game T20i series, clinching the trophy. Here is the breakdown of the three matches:
Match 1:
India won the toss and chose to bowl. Indian pacers Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar, and Harshal Patel starred and took regular wickets. After a tremendous 41 (35) from Keshav Maharaj, SA reached 106-8 at the end of 20 overs. India chased this target down in 16.4 overs with the loss of only two wickets. KL Rahul hit 51 (56) and Suryakumar Yadav hit 50 (33) to form a winning partnership.
India dominated with the ball, and the bowlers never let South Africa get comfortable. The first two overs of the South African innings were wild, with the ball swinging at drastic angles, forcing the batsman to retreat inside their creases. The South African batters got more comfortable past the power play since the ball lost much of its swing, but phenomenal bowling from R. Ashwin (Economy of 2.0) and A. Patel (Economy of 4.0) kept them from taking control of their innings. Despite an incredible performance by Keshav Maharaj, SA was limited to a very poor score. The batting by India was decent, but the quick wickets of Rohit Sharma (0(2)) and Virat Kohli (3(9)) are something to take note of.
Match 2:
T. Bavuma won the toss and chose to bowl first. With brilliant batting from KL Rahul, 55 (27), Suryakumar Yadav, 61 (22), and Virat Kohli, 49 (28), India reached 237-3 at the end of 20 overs. After taking two early wickets, India was unable to keep pressure on South Africa, and partnerships between Q. De Kock and Aiden Markram & David Miller brought SA to 221-3. India ended up narrowly winning by 16 runs.
India impressed with the bat, with KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav once again being in hitting form. They were supplemented by Virat Kohli and Dinesh Karthik, 17 (7), who finished the batting innings in style. Bowling, on the other hand, was incredibly weak. Despite taking two early wickets, the Indian bowlers were never able to keep pressure on the South African batsman. Arshdeep Singh, Harshal Patel, and Axar Patel were slammed for boundaries, reflected in their economies greater than 10. Deepak Chahar and Ravichandran Ashwin were the only economical bowlers with economies of 6.0 and 9.37 respectively. Arshdeep’s poor performance in the 19th over, in which he leaked 26 runs, highlights a continuing issue the Indian team faces in death bowling. With Bumrah out of the spotlight, India desperately needs an economical death bowler.
Match 3:
India won the toss and chose to bowl first. Rilee Rossouw starred with a brilliant century off just 48 balls & was supported by Quintin De Kock, 63 (48), and Tristan Stubbs, 23 (18). David Miller came in at the last over and smacked 19 runs off 5 balls, bringing South Africa to an astounding total of 227-3. India, despite having a star-studded lineup, was unable to form the partnerships required to chase the massive total and got all out for 178 in 18.3 overs.
South Africa’s domination with the bat again highlights problems with the Indian bowling lineup. Deepak Chahar, Mohammed Siraj, Umesh Yadav, Harshal Patel, and Axar Patel all ended up with economies above 10. Ashwin was the only economical bowler, with an economy of 8.75. The inconsistency of the Indian bowling could be a big problem in the upcoming T20 World Cup, where India will need to save runs. The collapse of the batting lineup highlights a dependency on KL Rahul (did not play), Virat Kohli (did not play), and Suryakumar Yadav (had an off day). Rohit Sharma (0(2)), Rishabh Pant (27(14)), Harshal Patel (17(12)), and Axar Patel (9(8)) continue their poor form, with Dinesh Karthik ( 46 (21) ) and Deepak Chahar ( 31(17) ) being the only significant run scorers.
Overall, South Africa’s tour of India has highlighted problems in the bowling lineup and a dependency on a few star batsmen, without whom India cannot hit high totals. Hopefully, the BCCI sees and corrects these problems before the T20 World Cup, in which India will have to be strong with the bat and ball to stand any chance of winning.