Probable playing XI for South Africa
Times and tides have changed for the South African side as they ride high on the victory that David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen earned for them. Chasing 211 off 120 deliveries against the likes of Buvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, and Yuzvendra Chahal was no easy task, but how they denied India their world record is something that is being talked about. When the Proteas turn up at the Barabati Stadium, Cuttak to against the men in blue, they will make sure that they have all bases covered and further extend their lead to 2-0
Here is a list of probable eleven that might take the field at Cuttack against Rishabh Pant's Indian side.
The opening pair:
Temba Bavuma after the toss for the first T20I said that Aiden Markram is not available for selection as he has been tested positive for COVID-19 and hence is all set to miss out. Filling in for Markram, skipper Bavuma will walk out to open the innings for the Proteas with their talisman Quinton De Kock. The wicket-keeper batsman was in fine touch but he couldn't deliver according to his reputation in the first game and will be looking to score big in the next outing.
The all-important no.3:
Bavuma struck a bar of gold with his decision of promoting Dwaine Pretorius to no.3. Chasing a massive total of 211, the Proteas required two good overs in the powerplay and Pretorius did exactly what was being expected of him, he took Chahal to the cleaners and scored 29 off 13 deliveries at a strike rate of 223.08, this innings somewhat took India out of the game very early on.
The explosive middle order:
The things that transpired in the first T20 certainly cement the fact that skipper Bavuma will keep things unchanged. With David Miller and Rassie van der Dussen batting like a dream, it will be tough for the Indian bowlers to get hold of them and the Proteas will look to gain from it. They have debutant Tristan Stubbs too who can bat, but he is still to be seen and will be hoping that he can put some fireworks on display against the Indian boys.
The gritty lower middle order:
With plenty of fireworks in the Proteas camp, their lower order middle can also be very handy with the bat. With the likes of Wayne Parnell, Kagiso Rabada, and Anrich Nortje, the Proteas pace battery can strike a few out of the ground even if the run rate soars high. These three make sure that South Africa bats deep and they keep the scoreboard ticking. The Proteas also manage their death bowling expectations with the likes of Rabada, Parnell, and Nortje.
The tail:
Along with the deadly pace battery, the Proteas also have spin options in Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, they might not be that handy with the bat but make sure that they strike at regular intervals with the ball which restrains the opposition from scoring big.
