3 things South Africa need to do to beat India in 1st T20I

South African are back in action for the first time since their heartbreaking defeat to eventual champions Australia in the semi-final of the 2023 World Cup. The Proteas will host Team India for an all-format series featuring three T20Is and ODIs, followed by two Tests.

Kickstarting the riveting action will be the T20Is, as both teams begin their build-up towards the World Cup next year.

While the African giants have displayed remarkable improvement in the 50-over format, their recent results in T20Is have been anything but impressive. The side suffered a 0-3 whitewash at home against Australia and also lost 1-2 against the West Indies at home before that.

Meanwhile, the Men in Blue avenged their World Cup final defeat to Australia by upstaging them 4-1 in the recently-concluded T20I series. However, they have plenty to sort out themselves in the shortest format, evidenced by their 2-3 defeat to the West Indies in August.

The two teams last played a T20I series in India in October 2022, with the hosts coming out on top 2-1. Interestingly, South Africa have won only two of the eight bilateral T20I series against India.

With the opening game set to be played at Durban today (Sunday, December 10), here are three things South Africa need to do to overhaul India and take a 1-0 lead.

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#1 The South African batters must tackle the Indian spinners

Kulddep and Bishnoi have the potential to wreak havoc on the South African batting lineup.

Central to South Africa's chances in the opening T20I will be their ability to tackle the Indian spinners in the middle overs. While Ravindra Jadeja should be a certainty as the spinning all-rounder, one or both Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi could feature in the playing XI.

South Africa's struggles against wrist spin are well documented. The hosts will do well to remember their ODI and T20I series defeats in 2017-18, built on them succumbing against Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal.

Bishnoi is coming off a sensational series against Australia that vaulted him atop the T20I bowler rankings. The 23-year-old finished as the leading wicket-taker in the series with nine scalps in five games.

Meanwhile, Kuldeep has been in the form of his life this year in both white-ball formats. He averages an incredible 17.62 at an economy of under 5.70 in seven T20Is this year.

Although neither has played a single T20I against South Africa, Kuldeep boasts spectacular numbers against them in ODIs. The 28-year-old has 26 wickets at an average of 15.19 in only 11 games against the African nation, including 17 scalps in six outings in South Africa.

However, the hosts can take solace from the fact that Ravindra Jadeja has picked up only two wickets in five T20Is against them.

If the Proteas are to upstage the Indian juggernaut at Durban, they must overcome the threat of Kuldeep and Bishnoi.

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#2 Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller capitalizing on the Indian death bowling woes

The duo have hurt India several times in T20Is.

Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller have formed a formidable partnership to provide fearsome finishes to the South African innings.

Coming off blistering 2023 World Cup campaigns, where they helped South Africa produce carnage at the death overs, the duo will hold the key to their chances in the first T20I against India.

Klaasen and Miller have shared innumerable devastating partnerships, including a 139-run stand in the first ODI against India last year. Added to that are their stunning T20I numbers against India, and the pair will undoubtedly be vital to the Proteas' chances.

While the right-handed Klaasen averages 35 at a strike rate of 166.66 in T20Is against India, Miller has done even better, with an average of over 47 and a strike rate of 161.96 in 18 games.

Another astounding statistic of the deadly duo is the difference in their numbers in South African wins and losses. Klaasen averages over 43 at a strike rate of 173.86 in T20I wins but only 16.54 at 130 in losses.

Miller boasts similar numbers, with his average skyrocketing to over 48 in T20I victories but reducing to a mediocre 24.34 in losses.

The two middle-order finishers can also take confidence from India's lack of reliable death bowling options, with the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami.

Even a second-string Aussie lineup exploited the Indian bowling at the death overs when they had wickets in hand, evidenced by Glenn Maxwell's destructive century in the third T20I.

The likes of Arshdeep Singh, Deepak Chahar, Mukesh Kumar, and Mohammed Siraj could be under pressure by the Klaasen-Miller combination in the slog overs. It is unquestionably the phase the home team can take a complete toll on and win the series opener.

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#3 South Africa must dismiss Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav early

Surya has an enviable record against South Africa in T20Is.

South Africa must follow the "cut off the head of the snake, and the body will die" theory to dethrone India in the opening T20I.

With the absence of stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the onus will be on Suryakumar Yadav to captain the side and score impactful runs. Ranked the No.1 T20I batter in the world, Surya is a different beast in the shortest format of the game.

His record against South Africa is even better than his already extraordinary overall T20I record. The 33-year-old averages 62.33 at a strike rate of 185.14 against the Proteas in the shortest format, including 16 fours and 12 sixes in 101 balls faced.

Surya has scored less than 50 in only one of his four T20Is against the hosts, and India lost that game comfortably by 49 runs.

Having never been dismissed by the spin duo of Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi and scoring at a strike rate of over 155 against them in T20Is, Surya's ability to take the game away in the middle overs is something South Africa must guard against.

It makes Marco Jansen's new-ball spell crucial as early wickets could bring Surya into the crease early to exploit his potential weaknesses against pace with the new ball.