RAJKOT, June 16: Under pressure India skipper Rishabh Pant will be hoping to tide over his struggles with the bat and help the hosts improve their middle overs play when they take on South Africa in the fourth T20 International here on Friday.
Save Pant’s problems, India were able to plug the gaps in Vizag to open their account in the series with a comprehensive win. They will need another near perfect game to take the five-match series into the decider.
Such has been the brilliance of Pant that every time he has been written off across formats, he has found a way to bounce back. The stage is set for him in another must-win game for India.
The hosts had got off to an electric start in the last game with Ruturaj Gaikwad finding some much-needed runs and complementing Ishan Kishan who has made a good case for being India’s reserve opener in the long run, including in the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
The two will be looking to make the most of the remaining two games, followed by a couple in Ireland, before the regular openers walk back into the playing eleven.
Shreyas Iyer, who has been tested with the short ball regularly in the series, has not yet made a significant contribution at number three and will be itching to change that on Friday.
The home side struggled in the middle overs in Vizag after a perfect start before Hardik Pandya came to the team’s rescue and took the score close to 180.
India rely on their spinners in the middle overs and the biggest positive out of the last game was the performance of Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel.
In the pace department, the seasoned Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been remarkably consistent. Avesh Khan has not gone for a lot of runs but is yet to take a wicket in the series while Harshal Patel, who relies on his variations to be effective, found his rhythm in Vizag and ended up with a four-wicket haul.
The South Africans, meanwhile, would back themselves to win the next game and seal the series. They currently lead 2-1.
The visitors will be hoping their star batter Quinton de Kock recovers fully from a wrist injury and rejoins skipper Temba Bavuma at the top.
Spinners Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj have leaked over 10 runs an over with the Indians purposely going on the offensive against them.
Pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada has been their most impressive bowler and the hosts have given him due respect by not taking many chances against him.
Match starts at 7 pm IST. (PTI)
