Virat Kohli's Indian team will be looking to seal the Twenty20 International (T20I) series when they take on hosts South Africa in the second match at the Supersport Park in Centurion on Tuesday, 21 February.
After clinching a confidence-boosting consolation win in the third and final Test in Johannesburg in January, the visitors were able to transform themselves into a ruthless limited-over side.
Led by the top-order, predominantly captain Kohli (558 runs) and Shikhar Dhawan (323 runs), and wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal (30 wickets between them), the Men in Blue clinched a historic ODI series win in the Rainbow Nation.
Can Raina, Pandey cement their spots?
India carried their form into the three-match T20I series, beating a depleted South African side by 28 runs at the Wanderers, Johannesburg on Sunday, February 18. The Asian giants rode on Dhawan's 39-ball 72 and Bhuvneshwar Kumar's maiden five-wicket haul in the shortest format of the game to decimate the hosts.
Despite the dominant win, India will be well-served if they are able to overcome their middle-order woes, which have been concerning them ever since the start of the tour.
The focus will be on Suresh Raina and Manish Pandey as the two are facing competition for their spots from the likes of KL Rahul and Kedar Jadhav, who is a strong contender for the middle-order spot despite not being part of the current T20I squad.
Raina kept playing rash shots on his comeback match in Johannesburg before perishing for 15 off seven balls. The left-handed veteran would want to spend more time in the middle on Wednesday.
Notably, captain Kohli dropped himself down a spot in the batting order to send the Chennai Super Kings star at number three. Meanwhile, Pandey had struggled to get going towards the end overs but remained unbeaten on 29 (27 balls).
Depleted South Africa face uphill task
On the other hand, South Africa, who are without their regulars of the likes of AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, Kagiso Rabada and Quinton de Kock, have to step up and find some momentum to stay alive in the series.
Skipper JP Duminy will take confidence from the way opener Reeza Hendricks went about his business in the first T20I. However, the hosts need their senior players, including the captain and David Miller, to step up if they are to stand a chance of testing the confident Indian unit.
With rain reportedly predicted for the afternoon in Centurion, there are high chances of delay in the start of the second T20I. Captain Kohli is unlikely to change the playing XI as he would want to continue with the third seamer instead of a second spinner in such conditions.
When does the match start and how to watch it live
The second T20I between South Africa and India will start at 4 pm GMT, 6 pm local, 9:30 pm IST.
Live streaming information and TV coverage
- India: TV: Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 3; Live streaming: Sony LIV
- South Africa: TV: SuperSport 2; Live streaming: SuperSport live
- UK: TV: Sky Sports Cricket; Live streaming: Sky Go
- US: Willow TV
Squads
South Africa: JP Duminy (c), Farhaan Behardien, Junior Dala, Reeza Hendricks, Christiaan Jonker, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Chris Morris, Dane Paterson, Aaron Phangiso, Andile Phehlukwayo, Tabraiz Shamsi, JJ Smuts.
India: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik (wk), Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Jaydev Unadkat, Shardul Thakur.
