The Daily Dispatch E-Edition

Proteas looking to bounce back in crucial second T20I

Indian captain Rohit Sharma admits pitch was unpredictable in first match

The Proteas will have it all to play for when they take on India in the second Twenty20 cricket international, as they look to level the series at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati on Sunday (3.30pm).

The men in green and gold, who are in their final preparations before the T20 World Cup in Australia in October, will have to pick themselves up after a crushing eight-wicket defeat against the hosts at the Greenshields International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram on Wednesday.

With no time to lick their wounds, the visitors will look to get back to winning ways in the three-match series which is part of their preparations for the global showpiece.

SA can take solace that India have not won either of the two T20 internationals played at the Barsapara ground, losing by eight wickets to Australia in 2017, and a no result against Sri Lanka in 2020.

However, the Proteas know they will have to be at their absolute best if they are to salvage the series on Sunday.

“As a batting unit we failed to apply ourselves in those conditions,” Temba Bavuma said in a post-match interview on Wednesday after they made only 106/8.

“I thought they were tough batting conditions, but we were never really able to adjust our plans.

“We saw how Rahul and Yadav were able to do that, so we need to have a better showing from the batting [in the next match].”

Bavuma said despite their two days of training at the ground before that opening encounter, they had never expected the pitch to play the way it did.

“We trained here for two days in a row and we saw that the wicket was a bit spicy, but we were not really expecting it to play like that,” he said.

Having to defend such a modest target, Bavuma said it was difficult to say whether an additional seamer in the team would have made a difference to the outcome of the match.

“I think with three seamers on that type of wicket, you would always back yourself, but in saying that, the seamers need runs behind them.

“To be defending that type of target, you are always hoping for a miracle. I thought the seamers tried as best they could while also being supported by the spinners.

“I think with our batting, that is where we really need to work and give the bowlers something to defend.”

Indian captain Rohit Sharma said the run chase had been made quite tricky with the way the pitch was playing.

“When you are playing a game like that, you get to learn a lot — what you want to do as a team when conditions are challenging and what brings the best out of you.

“We never expected the wicket to play the way it did. We knew there would be something in it for the bowlers but not right across the 20 overs.

“Both teams were in the contest and the team who played better won the game.

“We started off really well getting five or six wickets in the first six or seven overs, so that was the turning point for us.”

While he heaped praise on his opening bowlers, Sharma believed that it was still a case of teams being able to execute their plans, swing the ball and he felt they had done that quite well upfront.

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2022-10-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

2022-10-01T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://dispatch.pressreader.com/article/281900187091750

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