India registered a 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series against South Africa. Rohit and Co. beat the Proteas by eight wickets in the first match. They followed it up with a thumping 16-run win, in the second game to bag the series.
A strong start 🇮🇳🇮🇳
Next up: Guwahati pic.twitter.com/DI7L60MbA8— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 28, 2022
South Africa came into the series as a strong competitor. However, Bavuma and his men could not justify their potential. Their top-order misfired in both games. Barring the stunning fourth-wicket partnership between David Miller and Quinton de Kock, they never got going in the series. South Africa has some points to worry as they prepare for the World Cup.
Great game. Terrific atmosphere. Thank you Guwahati. 🇮🇳💙 pic.twitter.com/pId8ITMQRA
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) October 2, 2022
Meanwhile, the Indian team had a happy outing in both games. Their bowlers rule the roost in the first game. Their batting clicked in the second T20I and scored freely. India will be mindful of the consistency issue as well. As the World Cup is approaching, India would take many lessons from the bilateral series, to put on a good show.
Team India and their fantastic four
India now has a formidable top four in batting. All of them are game-changers and big hitters. If one of them can stay for 5-17 overs, Men in Blue can definitely consider posting a big total. They have such firepower, and it is not an exaggeration. However, an area of concern is the lack of depth in middle and lower-order batting. They get only a few opportunities as top batters consume more balls.
Brilliant character shown by the boys to seal the series after being down. 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/qVCTXNWKH3
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 25, 2022
An example was the 2019 ICC World Cup. India’s top three batters scored the bulk of the runs. The middle order, barring Dhoni, failed to get going and when an opportunity arrived, they faltered in the semifinal. However, a positive change is that India now developed a challenging number four batter in Suryakumar Yadav. He has been a breath of fresh air and adds more value to the highly talented Indian unit. The big three has now changed to fab four, and it promises plenty of hope.
Men in Blue have ticked many boxes
Team have a few areas where they can work better, for brilliant results. They need to step up their fielding standards. Being an aged side, they have been giving easy runs and dropping catches. Death over bowling too is a key point that they’ll have to address very quickly. One approach they can try is by adding more varieties and playing mind games with opponent batters.
All square. See you in Hyderabad. 🇮🇳👊 pic.twitter.com/2DZM41SMEc
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 23, 2022
Team India ticked many boxes. They have a set-top order, a talented middle order, and an experienced bowling unit. Now, it is all about execution and playing to their strengths as the World Cup starts in two weeks’ time.
