India vs South Africa 2019: 1st T20I - Match Preview, Pitch Report, Weather, Predicted XI & Match Prediction

India vs South Africa 2019: 1st T20I – Match Preview, Pitch Report, Weather, Predicted XI & Match Prediction; International cricket returns to India as the Men in Blue are all set to face South Africa in a three-match T20I series, starting Sunday, September 15.

India who are fresh off a successful tour of West Indies will look to take advantage of a Proteas team that is currently in the middle of a rebuilding process.

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South Africa, on the other hand, had an underwhelming summer in England getting knocked out in the group stages of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. The focus will be on the World T20 next year for newly appointed skipper Quinton de Kock and his men.

With preparations underway for the T20 World Cup in Australia next year, India need to focus on discovering the winning formula alongside effectively grooming individuals for respective positions in the team.

Team combinations:

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan are set to open the batting for India. Interesting to see whether KL Rahul gets the nod or not. And also, Shreyas Iyer might just get the nod ahead of Manish Pandey, who fared poorly in the T20Is versus West Indies.

Hardik Pandya should walk into the playing XI straightaway. It will be interesting to see who gets the captain’s vote between the spin quartet of Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Krunal Pandya, and Rahul Chahar. Krunal and Jadeja are the favourites considering his prowess with the bat.

The Proteas will take the field with a new-look batting line-up bolstered by the services of proficient all-rounders. The pace of Junior Dala, stalwart Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje will be crucial, while Tabraiz Shamsi is expected to be the lone spinner in the side.

Date and Venue: 14th September 2019, Dharamsala

Pitch Report: 

It is going to be a fresh wicket for the much-anticipated clash. The bounce on the wicket will certainly help the fast bowlers initially. However, as the game goes on, it would be easy for the batsman to go for their strokes.

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Predicted XI:

India –  Rohit Sharma (VC), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli (Captain), Shreyas Iyer. Rishabh Pant (WK), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Khaleel Ahmed, Deepak Chahar, Navdeep Saini.

South Africa – Quinton de Kock (captain), Rassie van der Dussen (vice-captain), George Linde. Dwaine Pretorious, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Anrich Nortje, Beuran Hendricks, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi.

Weather Report: Unfortunately, there are persistent rains on the cards during the course of the match. Overcast conditions are expected on match day. Day-time temperatures are expected to be around 23°c and could plunge to around 16°c at night. Meanwhile, the humidity expected to be around 76%.

Match Prediction:

Without any ray of a doubt, the Indian National Cricket Team led by Virat Kohli is going to start as favourites in the game. However, South Africa has got young legs which can kick the opposition out on their day. All in all, a cracking contest is on the cards with heavy advantage to Virat Kohli-led side.

Head-to-head:

India have won 8 and lost 5 of the 13 matches played against South Africa, with a win percentage of 61.53.