Right before the game, the skippers from either sides face the media. It was South African skipper Faf du Plessis’s turn to face the questions and he did not disappoint.
Right before the game, the skippers from either sides face the media. It was South African skipper Faf du Plessis’s turn to face the questions and he did not dissappoint. He said, “We felt a couple of times before that this was our time. India are still regarded as one of the favourites and we have played pretty much through the whole tournament as underdogs.” So even if the South African skipper be playing around with the words, their team are no one time wonders. South Africa come into this semi-final with one defeat (to Sri Lanka) and wins over the Netherlands, England and New Zealand.
Their batting has not clicked yet apart from southpaw, JP Duminy. The likes of Hashim Amla, Quinto de Kock, AB de Villiers have not amassed runs and this might please the opposition bowling attack. The Proteas are strong in the bowling department with the quick guns – Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel ready to unleash their fast, pacy bowling on the Indian batsment.
The other bowler who has caught the eye is spinner, Imran Tahir. The spinner has so far got 11 wickets from his four games at an economy rate of less than seven runs per over.
The Indian batting on the other hand have worries of their own. Shikhar Dhawan is not in good nick and Yuvraj Singh has just settled in. Skipper MS Dhoni has a selection headache if to opt for Ajinkya Rahane or Shikhar Dhawan.
Amit Mishra is still India’s best spinner so far and has overshadowed the likes of Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin. If Mishra clicks for India tonight, South African batsmen can expect a nightmare in Bangladesh.
The toss remains crucial and if any side wins it, batting first will be the go-to option.
Playing XIs:
India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan/Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (c/wk), Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Amit Mishra, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma/Mohammad Shami
South Africa: Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (wk), AB de Villiers, Jean Paul Duminy, David Miller, F Behardien/Faf du Plessis, Albie Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Dale Steyn, BE Hendricks/Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir
