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South Africa vs England | 2nd T20I: Match Preview, Predicted XI & Dream11 Fantasy Picks

Akshay Saraswat


After England's impressive victory over South Africa in the first T20I of the series, the second game of the three-match series between the two teams, set to take place at Paarl, becomes a do-or-die affair for the hosts. While the two teams didn't have a vast difference in terms of their performance, England managed to get past the line thanks to Jonny Bairstow's fireworks. 

England captain Eoin Morgan candidly accepted in the post-match presentation ceremony that his team is far from their best. He credited the victory to the individual brilliance of a few players. South African skipper Quinton de Kock, on the other hand, remained optimistic and felt it would just take a little bit of improvement to turn the tables. 

Positives for South Africa

The Proteas have been looking for a replacement for Imran Tahir since his retirement. George Linde, the left-arm spinner, gave South Africa some hope in this department. His good bowling performance surprised England and benefitted the hosts. But now, England may try to target him in the next game.

Faf du Plessis' innings was a big boost for South Africa. Him and de Kock are the two most important batsmen in the line-up due to their proven quality and experience. Both showed good form, an ominous sign for England. 

Rassie van der Dussen and Heinrich Klaasen showed a glimpse of their ability. With many spots in the middle order up for grabs, these two will be watched closely. 

England's Approach

Sam Curran once again showed his uncanny ability to make an impact in the game. He can be a perfect foil for the sheer pace of Jofra Archer. Adil Rashid again showed what a key player for his the English side. 

The decision to shift Bairstow down the order was a gamble. His success at the top of the order makes him a prime contender for opening. However, his shift to and success at no. 4 adds strength to the middle order. 

England's line-up looked powerful anyway and has depth due to the presence of two capable seam-bowling all-rounders. With Archer and Rashid in good form, even the bowling is pretty solid. 

South Africa vs England 2nd T20I: Match Details

Venue: Boland Park, Paarl

Live Coverage: Star Sports network, Hotstar

Date and Timing: November 29, 18:00 IST, 14:30 Local, 12:30 GMT

Pitch Report

The pitch at this venue tends to be flat and high-scoring. However, the hot conditions also mean that the track could dry up and assist spinners. The likes of Rashid and Linde may play a key role in the match. Pacers may have another tough contest. 

Weather and Toss

Temperature is set to be around 30-degree celsius in the day time. While batting first is the conventional wisdom on generally flat pitches, this ground has a history of favouring chasing teams. It is likely that the team winning the toss chooses to chase. England did the same thing in the first T20I. They may continue with this formula. 

Team News

South Africa

South Africa went into the first game with two spinners in their ranks. Linde's performance makes him a certainty for the second game. However, the spot of Tabraiz Shamsi may be in danger due to his under-par performance in the last game. His good record in domestic T20 league on this ground may just earn him another go. The pasting that Beuran Hendricks got may get him replaced by Anrich Nortje. 

Possible XI: Quinton de Kock (C, wk), Temba Bavuma, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen, Pite van Biljon, George Linde, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi

England

Despite the failure of the Jos Buttler-Jason Roy combination in the first game, England would like to give another go to it. The interesting position is of Dawid Malan. He couldn't make use of his opportunity in the last match but deserves another go. Tom Curran and Chris Jordan will have to watch their backs. Mark Wood might come in to provide more pace while Moeen Ali could be a good option on a flat and dry wicket. 

Possible XI: Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Dawid Malan, Jonny Bairstow, Ben Stokes, Eoin Morgan (C), Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Adil Rashid, Jofra Archer, Mark Wood

South Africa vs England 2nd T20I: Dream11 Fantasy Team Suggestions

Quinton de Kock, Jonny Bairstow, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Heinrich Klaasen, Ben Stokes, Adil Rashid, Moeen Ali, Jofra Archer, Kagiso Rabada


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These five players could answer captain Kohli’s call for the sixth bowler

In the post-match presentation, after India’s 66-run humiliating defeat at the hands of hosts Australia in the first ODI at Sydney, Virat rued the lack of an all-rounder who could act as the sixth bowler for the Indian team. He compared India's situation to that of Australia saying that the hosts have the luxury of having Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell in their side who could always turn up for 5-6 overs on any of the main bowler’s off day. India’s problems have been magnified mainly because the well-groomed all-rounder, Hardik Pandya could not bowl and Kohli acknowledged that too. “We'll have to find out ways of getting a few overs from a few part-timers in the side. Unfortunately, Hardik is not ready to bowl yet so we have to accept that and work around it. That is an area we have looked at, which is a very big part of any team balance. Stoinis and Glenn (Maxwell) do it for Australia,” he said. Even Pandya himself said that India needs to groom all-rounders to further strengthen the bench strength and give skipper Kohli, options, till the time he has not gained full fitness to bowl. "Even when I came into the circuit, I was not always the all-rounder which I wanted to be. But with time I groomed myself and became that bowling option. I worked on my bowling,” Pandya said in a post-match press conference. The 27-year-old even suggested some names, one that of his brother Krunal itself. “…maybe you can name it who all are there… maybe we should look in the Pandya family only," he said. But Krunal Pandya is not the only option and everyone is aware of it. There are many in the Indian domestic circuit, who could bat good enough and can also bowl those 5-7 overs in the middle of an ODI game or 1-2 overs in T20Is. Here is a list. Hanuma Vihari For a few people, Hanuma Vihar could be an unusual choice given the sense we are looking for all-rounders, but we are essentially looking for a batsman who can bat in the middle order or even for that matter top order and can give us 4-6 overs. Ever since the departure of Suresh Raina from the squad and Kedar Jadhav not being considered for his age, there hasn’t been anyone apart from Pandya who could be a genuine batsman and give you those quick overs in the middle. In the teams of the previous generation, led by MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly, there were always, the Yuvraj Singhs, the Sachin Tendulkars, Virender Sehwags, and Suresh Rainas who would turn up and give you those important overs in the middle, even get you a wicket or two. But they did not get there overnight, it was through net practices only. Vihari, 29, has potential and everybody has seen it. You don’t always need somebody to strike at more than 100 in the ODIs, sometimes inning builders like Vihari could also be the guy who can bat at four and can still give you those good overs in the middle of the innings. Vihari so far has played 74 List A games and an equal number of T20s in the domestic circuit. In those games, while he has picked up 42 wickets and bowled around 234 overs, his batting has been as scintillating as it gets. In List A, he has an average of more than 45 and the strike rate is also above 80. Thus Vihari is the ideal candidate for that middle order birth, or the number four that India has been searching for, quite some time. Vijay Shankar Vijay Shankar is a tried and tested product. He has the numbers behind his back to argue his case. The only problem is his big match temperament. He has not had the success that was expected from him when he was given the chance at first. With an average of more than 38 in List A and in higher 20s in T20s, Shankar would be the right man to play number six, if Pandya plays as a pure batsman at five and KL Rahul pushed to number four in place of Iyer. Shankar is the genuine all-rounder who could very easily give the team 5-7 overs, in the middle as he has done for his state team Tamil Nadu. In List A he has 54 wickets in 74 games with an average of around 35, in T20s too, he has a good enough profile to fill the all-rounder’s column with 30 wickets in 53 innings that he has bowled in. Axar Patel The Gujarati guy (economical in his bowling) is another one who could solve the puzzle of the sixth bowler for team India. He is not someone who can just handle the willow, rather he has the power to win you crunch games with the bat in hand. Surely he can’t give you a spell-like 4/40 in 10, but for that, the team has five specialist bowlers. Axar would be the buffer or the transition bowler, which the captain could use on off days for some bowlers or purely in the middle overs to tighten the noose. He can surely bat at six, as he does for his domestic team and the Indian team can play both Rahul and Iyer by making Rahul open the innings, and if Rohit comes, then choose between the two. With Axar coming in, Jadeja could also be asked to work more on his batting and deliver at times of emergency. He further comes off a successful IPL exploit, hitting 117 runs at a strike rate of over 135 and picking 9 wickets at a miserly economy of 6.4. Washington Sundar Washington Sundar is yet another player who could be entrusted to bat in the middle and give those 5-7 tight overs in the middle of the innings. He showed his capabilities with the ball in the recently concluded IPL, and his bat has done all the talking in domestic cricket. True that he couldn’t do well in the limited opportunities that he got with the bat in IPL, but players, especially all-rounders are not made in a day, you got to give them time and back them up real nice, to be able to unleash their full potential. Sundar, right from his U-19 days has been a potential lower-order batsman. He has hit a hundred in the first-class showing that he has the caliber and the potential to play long hauls, so in case Pandya plays at five, Sundar can always get on with the bat at six and play the cameos. His tight bowling has always worked wonders for him and the team. Harshal Patel The Haryana all-rounder is another prospect, who is similar to Shankar. But Harshal is more of a bowling all-rounder, although he has off late batted as high as an opener in domestic cricket. In last year’s Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, the 30-year-old Patel was the fourth-highest run-getter with 374 runs at an average of 31 and at a strike rate of more than 165. In the same tournament, he was also the joint second-highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps from 12 innings, averaging near about 16. In his overall career, Harshal has stood out in the limited opportunities that he has got. The Sanand born has 11 fifties to his kitty and is a more than good enough batter to bat at seven, after Jadeja, if Pandya plays as a pure batsman. He would also open a way to play Kuldeep because he can give you the full 10 overs as well, thanks to the 400 domestic wickets that he boasts of. The Other Options The likes of Krunal Pandya that the junior Pandya mentioned are also similar to an Axar Patel or Washington Sundar. But, his out of form touch, as was evident in the recently concluded IPL, means that senior Pandya is not part of the top of contestants. But as and when he finds his touch with both bat and bowl, he surely can be an option. Similar is the case with Shivam Dube. Deepak Hooda though is another option who could be tried but for his on and off performances. While Someone like Kamlesh Nagarkoti or Shivam Mavi are pure bowling all-rounders and they need to prove their mettle with the bat. They have the time in their favour and can work on their skills in the meantime.

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AUS vs IND: Virat Kohli has a ‘Pandya’ sized problem to solve

Since the time Hardik Pandya made his debut for India, he was rated highly for his effortless six-hitting and handy bowling that solved a major issue for India, a cover for the frontline bowlers in case one had a bad day. Like all potential all-rounder of the past, he too was seen with a big hope of becoming the next big things in Indian cricket who would work as a cherry on the top of a star-studded batting line up with lusty hits and crazy strike rates and will also enable captains to be more flexible with bowling options. However, injury has played a huge role in halting his growth and Pandya has not bowled in Indian colours since South Africa's visit to India last year and there is no certain date or clarity when he will be able to resume his role. Like all good cricketers, Pandya, too, has his eye set on the big prize and it is the three World Cups that will take place between 2021-23 that Pandya does not want to risk by hurrying into bowling. “It is a process. I am looking at a long-term goal where I want to be 100% of my bowling capacity for the most important games. The World Cups are coming. More crucial series are coming. Whenever it is required,” Pandya revealed his plans on bowling. What Pandya said after the first ODI must have been known to Kohli and the team management and questions such as where does it leave the balance of the Indian ODI team and does Pandya merit a place in the playing XI purely on the basis of his batting must have crossed Kohli and Ravi Shastri’s mind. Old wounds surface again Hardik Pandya was in blistering form this IPL and the level of his performances could not go unnoticed as Kohli backed him as one of the six batsmen in a 6+1+4 combination where Jadeja was the solitary all-rounder who played predominantly as a bowler. Pandya, the batsman has come off age and he capitalised on his new role by scoring a magnificent 90 runs with so much ease and command at the crease that would make any frontline batsman proud of themselves. While Pandya’s success with the bat might have solved the finisher riddle for Kohli, it has left an old wound wide open along with complicating the balance of the team further. Now, Kohli has the challenge of finding a backup bowler who can roll their arms over on days when one of the frontline bowlers have an off day or they pull up injuries mid-game but at the same time Pandya, the batsman can’t be dropped and not miss Pandya, the all-rounder is not bowling due to fitness. Pandya’s inability to bowl while his prowess with the bat and proven match-winning quality makes him undroppable from the team, while his presence in the team will ignite the debate around the perpetually contentious number four spot with KL Rahul seems to be other players in the undroppable category having proved his mettle over a considerably longer period of time. Possible solutions? But, would Kohli be comfortable risking destabilising the team after letting Shreyas Iyer earn and own that spot on the back of consistent and solid batting performances? Ideally, the answer should be no but if the team will continue suffering due to the lack of the sixth bowler in the line-up, he and the team management will be tempted to try shifting Rahul at number four with Hardik at the number five followed by Jadeja ad another all-rounder who can give him cushioning of at least five overs in any game, at any stage of a game. This problem could well have been preempted by the former selector MSK Prasad who had decided to back Vijay Shankar for his all-round ability but as he was choosing him for a big tournament and did overlook the pedigree of a specialist batsman in Ambati Rayudu, he was subjected to a lot of flack for looking to select players with ‘3-dimensional game. Shankar, too, did not do his chances any good by not turning up in the limited opportunities and injury cut short his career before it could take shape. Virat Kohli got many things in better shape than his predecessor MS Dhoni and maturity of players who were struggling to fill voids of big names in batting and rookies in the bowling department was one of them, he could not get the luxury of having batsmen who could provide him with a couple of overs in between big partnership to check the momentum like the way Virender Sehwag, Suresh Raina or Yusuf Pathan used to do for Dhoni during the time India won the ODI World Cup in 2011. Kohli, too, can ask the likes of Dhawan and Iyer to develop their bowling capabilities in order to be ready to chip in with a couple of overs but will that be too much to ask for players who never enjoy bowling. The likes of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar enjoyed bowling before their shoulders started giving up on them whereas Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan bowled till they played for the team and Dhoni used them sparingly to good effect. These underrated aspects of the game also speak of the difference in the leadership style of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. Dhoni relied on every player to chip in with something they were not exactly picked for and the emergence of Yuvraj Singh, the bowler and his statement about express but wayward Indian bowling attack in Bangladesh after the ICC World Cup 2015 were testaments to his leadership style where he could extract more out of players than the qualities for which they were originally picked in the squad. On the other hand, Kohli always loved to have a bit of X-factor in his players and asked his express bowlers to bowl quick while stroke maker batsmen were encouraged to retain their flair. Hardik Pandya is a true Virat Kohli’s generation of players in the Indian cricket team and his successes symbolise the brand of cricket the team has been playing in the last three-four years after the departure of MS Dhoni. Sadly, for now, his fitness is plaguing him and with him giving a lot of very trouble that he had promised to solve when he burst onto the scene of Indian cricket.

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Australia's plan to stop Virat Kohli may have been revealed in first ODI

The first ODI between Australia and India went almost according to the desired plan for Australia. Their batting line-up fired on all cylinders and most batsmen seemed to be in good touch. Except for Mitchell Starc's underwhelming performance, their bowlers also did the job efficiently on a completely unsympathetic pitch. However, there was one very important passage of play in the day that merits special attention. It was the innings of Virat Kohli. The Indian captain, known for his mastery of chasing targets, could only manage 21 runs, that too after being dropped when he had only a solitary run to his name. A lot of people, including the commentators, felt Kohli seemed too aggressive, to the point of rashness. But far more important than the Indian captain's strokes, what mattered was the way Australians bowled to him. Considering he is the biggest threat from the Indian side, the home team would like to leave no stone unturned in restricting the man with 43 ODI hundreds. If we look at the way Aussie bowlers bowled to the 32-year old, we can, perhaps, see the plan they have prepared to try and curtail his run making on this tour. Australia's Plan In Friday's match, Josh Hazlewood was Australia's best bowler for one very simple reason - he bowled a good line and length. The right-arm seame also utilised the bouncer well. Pat Cummins may have gone for a few runs but he too managed to hit the right areas on most occassions. Starc, known for his speed and yorkers, was wayward. When Kohli was in, Hazlewood and Cummins were operating and they decided to bowl back of a lenght around the 4-5th stump line. In the over Kohli was dropped, the first ball bounced sharply on this line and went whizzing past the Indian skipper's bat to the keeper. The top-edge drawn later also materialised due to extra bounce. Since Kohli is very strong when it comes to playing the ball on the leg side, even when the line is around off, Australia had the midwicket in the circle to prevent him getting a single through that region. Its quite possible that Kohli's decision to step out and try to clear midwicket, in which attempt he lost his wicket, was also induced by this tight line and length being bowled by the two bowlers. The slight weakness that the current Indian skippper used to have on the 'fifth wicket line' was heavily exploited by James Anderson and some other bowlers. Even during the 2018 Test series in England where Kohli piled up more than 500 runs, it was his patience and decision not to go after deliveries on that line which proved decisive. But in Australia, bowlers like Hazlewood and Cummins can also get a bit of extra bounce. So, a 4th or 5th stump line with midwicket in place seems to the blueprint Australia are likely to have throughout this tour. However, with Kohli set to miss all but one Test of the tour, this riveting contest will be, sadly, truncated.