IND vs SA: "It will be an ideal way to prepare for the T20 World Cup"- Salman Butt Feels India's Upcoming Series Against South Africa Will Be A Tough One
Published - 28 Sep 2022, 12:40 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:13 AM
Salman Butt, a former captain of Pakistan, predicts that the upcoming three-match T20I series between South Africa and India would be challenging for the hosts.
He said in a video posted to his YouTube account that the Proteas might provide a serious threat to the Men in Blue if they deploy their full-strength team.
India Vs South Africa Will Be A Highly Contested Series: Salman Butt
The 37-year-old expressed his opinion that Rohit Sharma and company would advance into the 2022 T20 World Cup thanks to their T20I matches against Australia and South Africa. He explained:
“India’s upcoming series against South Africa will be a tough one. It will be a highly contested series if South Africa play their full-strength team.
“It will be an ideal way to prepare for the T20 World Cup because of the strong bowling lineups. Both Australia and South Africa are among the top bowling lineups in the world.”
In three T20Is and as many ODIs in September and October, India and South Africa will square off. On September 28, the first match of the T20I rubber will be played at Thiruvananthapuram.
Following their amazing 2-1 series triumph against Australia, the Rohit Sharma-led team will be filled with confidence. They might benefit greatly from a win over South Africa as they try to build some momentum before the main event.
Salman Butt Praises Indian Pitches Used During Series Against Australia
India received praise from Salman Butt for constructing pace-friendly wickets during their most recent home series. He emphasised that these are the types of playing grounds that are anticipated in Australia for the T20 World Cup.
The former Pakistani opener also brought up how their current seven-match home T20I series against England had not been played on such tracks. He added:
“India prepared good pitches for their series against Australia, and there was a lot of bounce on offer. There was a nice carry to the keeper, and he was collecting the ball above his waist.
“They made pitches that had good pace and bounce, and that is closer to the type of cricket they might get in Australia. While the Pakistani pitches were also good, they didn’t have enough pace and bounce.”
On October 23 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, Rohit Sharma’s team will play a titanic match against their bitter rivals Pakistan to kick off their T20 World Cup run. The two cricket-playing nations last faced off in two games in the 2022 Asia Cup. In those games, both teams were able to earn victories.
Also Read: India vs South Africa: Match Preview, South Africa Tour Of India 2022, 1st T20I
