IND vs SA 3rd T20 Preview: India faces the challenge of gaining the lead, form of batsmen a matter of concern

The Indian batsmen, who flopped on the fast and bouncy pitch of Gakebarha in the second T20, will have to face the test of South African fast bowlers in the third T20 to be held in Centurion on Wednesday. The pitch of Supersport Park is also quick and bouncy. If Suryakumar Yadav's team has to take the lead in the four-match series tied at 1-1, then its batsmen will have to pass the test of fast bowlers. The problem is also that except for Hardik Pandya, no other team cricketer has ever played a T20 match on this ground. The conditions here will be completely new for the Indian team. Captain Suryakumar Yadav, Rinku Singh, and opener Abhishek Sharma, who have not been able to make an impact in both matches so far, will have to step up and take responsibility in batting.

Abhishek could not support Samson.

Since 2009, India has played only one T20 match on this ground in 2018. Only Hardik Pandya played in this match among the members of the current Indian team. India lost this match by six wickets. This is the reason why the form of the Indian batsmen will matter here. Abhishek Sharma has not performed well as an opener in both matches so far. If he does not perform well in the third match, the team management can give Tilak Verma a chance to open up with Sanju Samson in his place. In such a situation, Ramanjit Singh, who bats fast in the middle order, can get a place in the team.

Suryakumar will have to take responsibility.

Suryakumar, known as a 360-degree cricketer, has not been able to make an impact in both matches. He has played innings of 21 and 4 runs so far. The Indian team will depend a lot on his batting for success at SuperSport Park. Rinku Singh has also been able to play innings of 11 and nine runs in both matches. He has not been able to do justice to the role of finisher. Hardik Pandya scored two runs in the first match and a slow 39 runs in 45 balls in the second match. Sanju Samson and Tilak Verma are the only two batsmen who have scored runs. Samson scored 107 runs in 50 balls in the first match, while he was bowled out for zero in the second match. Tilak scored 33 runs in the first match and 20 runs in the second.

Varun's spin has left an impression.

The most positive aspect of India on this tour so far has been its spin bowling. Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi have impressed. Especially Varun's googly, who took three wickets for 25 runs in the first match and five wickets for 17 runs in the second match, has been incomprehensible to the South African batsmen. On the fast bowler-friendly pitch of Gakebarha, he reduced South Africa's score to 66 runs for six wickets. Bishnoi has also impressed by taking four wickets in two matches. Arshdeep and Avesh Khan were disappointed in the second match. Tristan Stubbs and Gerald Coetzee snatched the victory from India by scoring runs off these two bowlers in the end.

South Africa African batsmen have also failed.

Batting has not been the only problem of the Indian team. South African batsmen are also struggling to score runs. Captain Aiden Markram has not performed in both the matches. The same has been the case with experienced David Miller. Dangerous Heinrich Klaasen has not been able to play a big innings so far. Coetzee has certainly played quick innings of 23 and 19 runs in both matches. Stubbs has shown his usefulness by playing an innings of 47 runs in the second match.

Both teams are as follows...

India: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Tilak Verma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Vijaykumar Vaishak, Avesh Khan, Varun Chakraborty, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Dayal, Ravi Bishnoi, Ramandeep Singh, Jitesh Sharma.

South Africa: Reeza Hendricks, Ryan Rickelton (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Gerald Coetzee, N Pieters, Ottneil Bartman, Donovan Ferreira, Mihlali Mpongwana, Patrick Kruger.