SA vs IND, T20Is: Top takeaways for Team India from South Africa series. How India is settling under Suryakumar Yadav? What are still the concern areas for Team India?
It’s hard to believe, but Team India nailed at least one boundary (four or six) in every single over of the fourth T20I, except for the opening over. Out of the 20 overs in the visitor’s batting, only six overs witnessed zero maximums. A total of 23 sixes was smashed by the Blue Brigade, which is five more than the overall boundaries by South Africa.
For the entire series, India, under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, displayed a different blueprint of their batting. There was no pressure to follow the right template, having already enjoyed the T20 World Cup 2024. But the young generation of batters have expressed themselves in a bold manner, keeping the aggression intact despite losing wickets.
In the on-going year 2024, the overall strike rate of 151.80 by India is the second-best in T20Is. They have nailed the most fours (379) and sixes (236) in the format in the same period.
Key takeaways for India from the 3-1 series victory against South Africa
Top order contribution- key to success
The top three of the current T20 World Champions’ batting has been the key to success. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have only looked to deal in boundaries, while the inclusion of Tilak Varma has brought freshness to the side. It wasn’t a smooth start in the series for Abhishek, but his contribution can be portrayed differently.
The left-handed batter smashed 97 runs in four innings of the series but at a strike rate of 173.21. His half-century during the third game in Centurion came at a strike rate of 200. Apart from that knock, he faced 31 balls for his 47 runs across the three innings. There were hardly any defensive shots, which allowed the other batters to get enough chances to deliver.
The story with his opening partner was very simple. It’s either a century or a duck, nothing in between. The first hundred in the opening encounter came at a strike rate of 214, while the second unbeaten century in the final game was blasted at 194.64. In between those two, he faced five balls for two ducks. The impact of these knocks was marvellous.
Samson’s duck in the third game brought Tilak in the middle on the third ball of the innings. He drilled the Protea bowlers for an unbeaten 107 runs at a strike rate of over 190. The same story happened in the following game when he bagged 120* runs at a strike rate of 255.32.
Varun Chakravarthy offers variety in spin
Since the start of IPL 2024, Varun Chakravarthy has designed a new variety in his bowling. The Tamil Nadu leg-spinner was the second-highest wicket-taker of the tournament with 21 wickets in 14 innings. The average of 19.14 and economy rate of 8.04 contributed to his return to the national side.
In the four-match away T20I series against South Africa, Varun finished with 12 wickets at an average of 11.50. The ability to pick wickets at the crucial juncture of the series made it easy for the Blue Brigade to keep the run rate in check. His 12 scalps in the series now stand at the top for India in a bilateral series.
In the opening game at Kingsmead, both Heinrich Klassen and David Miller just started to free their arms. But the Karnataka-born sent them back to the dressing room in a space of just three deliveries.
Part-time bowlers to strengthen batting order
In the first two games of the series, India went with a comparatively long tail, as Arshdeep Singh came at number eight. But the decision to hand Ramandeep Singh the debut cap could be a boon for the two-time world champions. The right-handed batter bashed 125 runs in IPL 2024 for the KKR franchise at a strike rate of over 200. He also started his international career with a six on the very first delivery.
His bowling hasn’t been on the mark, as he was nailed for 42 runs in 3.2 overs at the Wanderers. But his slow cutters could add some value playing in the sub-continent. Suryakumar didn’t need to use his part-time bowlers in the series, but it’s always good to have a cushion. The likes of Abhishek or Tilak could be used for an over or so. That will allow the team to keep a long batting order and go with full freedom from the start.
Contributions lacking from Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya
The series has displayed how India have walked towards making a smooth transition in the shortest format. They have found a few players for certain positions but it would be interesting to see the growth of Rinku Singh. The left-handed batter couldn’t fire much in the three innings, where he scored 28 runs for a strike rate of 82.35.
The management hopes for more contributions with the bat from Hardik Pandya. Among those batters who have faced over 50 deliveries in the series, Pandya’s strike rate of 88.05 sits at the bottom. The veteran had a chance to carry India to a above par score during the second encounter. But he took it too deep and didn’t find the right timing at the end.
India have done incredibly well but they will aim to extend the purple patch. The next T20I for them is on January 22 against England at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
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