On Wednesday, December 12, at St George’s Park, Gqeberha, India defeated South Africa by five wickets in the second Twenty20 International of the three-match series. With 67 runs in the first five overs of the powerplay, the Proteas nearly won the match as they chased a revised target of 152 in 15 overs. The opening two overs of the innings saw seamers Mohammed Siraj (1/27, 3 overs) and Arshdeep Singh torn apart, conceding 14 and 24 runs in the first two overs, respectively.
Due to poor ball grip, the Indian bowlers found it difficult to bowl in the second inning’s damp conditions. Former India opener Gautam Gambhir felt that the conditions would have been very different if they hadn’t been so wet, but he wasn’t overly critical of the Indian bowling in the second game.
“In my opinion, Mohammed Siraj will bowl considerably worse than this and still record higher numbers. I was a little let down by Arshdeep because, following his first over, the powerplay ended and the ball became wet and difficult to handle. Bowling pin-point yorkers with a wet ball against a batsman like David Miller, Mukesh’s 13th over was amazing. These are some significant advantages, and going forward, this bowling lineup will look very different if the weather isn’t as humid,” Gambhir was cited by the Hindustan Times.
Going forward, Gambhir stated that in order for India to bowl alongside Jasprit Bumrah in the T20 World Cup in 2024, they would need to find another death bowler.
It is not very important to have a bilateral series 6-7 months prior to the World Cup. Gambhir
“It is not very significant to have a bilateral series 6-7 months before the World Cup. It makes sense for India to test their bowlers. You would like to assess your death-over bowling ability. When the T20 World Cup arrives, who would be the one more option beside Jasprit Bumrah? Gambhir continued, “These phenomena require closer observation than outcomes.
When India plays South Africa in the third Twenty20 International at New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on Thursday, December 14, they will be keen to win the series. Notably, India has defeated South Africa in three of the last four away series, and they will be keen to maintain that record by winning the final Twenty20 International and even the series.
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