Two Little Soldier Boys sitting in the sun;
One got frizzled up and then there was One.
Its still hours to go before we can know which soldier will get frizzled up and which will end up winning the glory. The T20 World Cup has always been cruel to the unbeaten teams but this time it has attempted to make up for its behavior by allowing, not one, but two unbeaten teams to proceed to the finals. South Africa’s unbeaten record is not as immaculate as India’s, they have made it so far by stumbling and bumbling, missing many close calls, and getting on the right side of purgatory by the barest of margins. India, in contrast, made sure to nail it right on the head. Barring the game against Pakistan which was the closest they had been to losing in the entire tournament, Rohit Sharma’s men have managed to get over the line in every contest without getting even a single hair out of place.
But all these unbeaten team chronicles would mean nothing without a final win. To get themselves into the history books, one last obstacle ought to be passed. For India, it would be their second T20 World Cup glory. For South Africa, it would be their first taste of a final victory. For cricket fans, it would be the end of a tournament that teemed with plot twists and exceeded expectations with the way it unfolded.
Team Overview:
If there is one thing that has shot India into the finals, it’s their bowling. They defended 205 as well as 119 with the same bowling attack. Jasprit Bumrah, of course, has been the cornerstone of the bowling line, the X-factor which they dearly missed in the previous edition. But he is not all. The India spinners showed their class in the last game just as decently. Though the wicket had a lot in it for them, this fact takes nothing away from their hoodwinking skills. However, the bowlers did something more than demolishing batting lineups. Initially, Indian batters struggled at the World Cup venues, but the bowlers fetched them the time as well as took the limelight away from them while they prepared backstage to acclimatize to the conditions. Until recently, when the batsmen seem to have ripened as well. It’s difficult to outdo such a tight-knit team. It’s not impossible, though.
South Africa do not exactly have a wild card. Their X-factors have been more nuanced. And that is what can protect their strategy for the finals from being intercepted. The batters, although can’t be counted exactly as explosive, have done the job nevertheless. No matter how much they stumbled, how askew their glasses went, or how many creases got onto their clothes, they still did the job. In such circumstances, one thinks failure is always around the corner. There is so far you can run from the devils chasing you. But the good thing for South Africa is that they need only to play hide and seek once more. One more con game with the long shadows following them and it will all be over, for better or for worse.
Head-to-Head matches:
India and South Africa have faced off 26 times in the shortest format of the game, with India dominating the matchup with 14 wins while South Africa lagging with 11 victories. Their most recent encounter took place in Johannesburg in December last year when India snatched the game away by 106 runs.
Weather and Pitch conditions:
Kensington Oval has shown inclination towards bowlers in 30+ T20I matches played here. Especially during the initial stages, fast bowlers get plenty of things from the deck including bounce which becomes less and less variable as the game progresses. Batters would need to respect this love affair between the ground and bowlers for the initial phase before they can start expressing themselves more freely. The wicket is fast and has mostly true bounce so batters can expect to reap the fruits here as well.
Rain is likely to pay a visit but it is forecasted not to be strong enough to dampen the game. Nevertheless, there is a reserve day for the final match, though both teams would fancy not going down that road.
Prediction:
Both of the sides have shown resilience and extraordinary cricket skills to reach this stage but one is destined to get frizzled up and that would likely be South Africa. There have been things that needed repairing in the team. Small, trivial things, but things anyway. India come spick and span to the Kensington Oval with very high morale and it’s not news to anyone, what sort of mindset they have when it comes to high stake clashes.
Where to Watch:
- India – Star Sports
- Pakistan – PTV Sports, Ten Sports, Myco (Live streaming) and Tamasha app (Live streaming)
- USA and Canada – Willow TV
- England – Sky Sports Network
- Caribbean – ESPN Caribbean
- New Zealand & Australia – Sky Sports NZ, Prime Video
- Other regions – SuperSport, Sirasa, CricLife, STARZPLAY
