India will hope to end their challenging home assignment against South Africa on a high note when the two sides clash in the fifth and final T20 International here on Friday. The series so far has exposed a few chinks in India’s armour and raised difficult questions on selection ahead of the T20 World Cup.
Also Read: No Indian has done this before: Varun Chakravarthy rewrites T20I history
After a 0-2 whitewash in the Test series, India bounced back to win the ODI series. With the fourth T20I abandoned due to poor weather in Lucknow on Wednesday, India now hold an unassailable 2-1 lead in the T20I series.
Key players and selection dilemmas for Team India
The series win should bring some comfort to embattled head coach Gautam Gambhir, who is dealing with concerns surrounding the team’s leaders. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and deputy Shubman Gill are both struggling for form, with less than two months remaining before the T20 World Cup.
Suryakumar, who was once ranked world No.1, has seen his form sharply decline in T20Is. In 18 innings across 20 matches this year, he has failed to score a half-century and averages just 14.20 from 213 runs. Each failure is amplifying concerns within the Indian camp.
Gill’s return as T20I vice-captain was initially seen as a boost, but his inconsistent performances and a toe injury before the fourth T20I will keep him out of the final match. Sanju Samson is expected to replace him in the top order. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter has historically thrived at the top, scoring three T20I centuries and one half-century in 14 innings, while his lower-order contributions have been limited.
India’s team otherwise remains settled, with all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube featuring in all matches so far. Arshdeep Singh is coming into form in the pace attack, building a promising partnership with Harshit Rana. Jasprit Bumrah, who missed the third T20I due to personal reasons, rejoined the squad ahead of the fourth match. On a batting-friendly track, Varun Chakravarthy, India’s leading wicket-taker in the series with six scalps, could face a tough challenge.
For South Africa, who have struggled with consistency, the final T20I offers a chance to salvage pride by drawing the series. They could consider bringing Aiden Markram back into the top order in place of Reeza Hendricks, who has struggled to find rhythm on this tour. Youngsters like Dewald Brevis need to step up after underwhelming performances, while Marco Jansen’s absence in aggressive knocks has been notable. Still, Lungi Ngidi and Ottneil Baartman have delivered commendable performances with the ball, keeping South Africa competitive.
(By PTI Inputs)
