India vs South Africa 2015, 1st T20I: Match Preview

The stage is set for an engrossing encounter

All the media glare and preparation has been done and dusted. The focus now veers towards the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala for the tour opener between India and South Africa. Aptly named the Freedom Series after Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, the two teams will seek early inroads into each other’s psyche by starting the T20I series on a successful note.

With one eye on the World T20 which is scheduled to be held in India on March 2016, both captains will be eager to formulate specific strategies and establish a settled unit. India, at home, are always a dangerous proposition for any opposition.

Therefore, South Africa skipper, Faf du Plessis, would want his team to hit the ground running and get attuned to the prospect of facing a humongous crowd which in itself will serve as an ideal preparation for the tourists.

Speaking to the press about his previous experiences in India, Du Plessis said, “"From a skill perspective, I have learnt a lot from batting in these conditions and practising every day against the world's best spin bowlers.”

The Proteas were welcomed with a convincing defeat in the warm-up match at the Palam A Stadium against an India A team which was filled with aspiring youngsters. But, these practice matches often serve as extended net sessions for the touring team.

Meanwhile for an ageing MS Dhoni, the series presents a perfect opportunity to hit back at his critics. Following the embarrassing 1-2 loss to Bangladesh in June, he had openly admitted to being ready to step down from captaincy. A superlative performance in both the limited overs series against the Proteas who have gained a reputation as spirited travellers will reassure his leadership stature.

Dispelling myths about “aggressive cricket”, Dhoni explained, "We say aggression is talking tough or physical aggression, but aggression is not about that. Slowly, if you see, our guys are also learning. How to manage aggression, channelise it. Be aggressive but follow the guidelines, play aggressive cricket but within the guidelines."

Team News

India

After fielding a second-string team for the previous T20I series in Zimbabwe, India will be bolstered by the returning big names. Mohammad Shami, who is still recuperating from a knee injury was not considered for both the limited overs squads. Gurkeerat Singh Mann and Sreenath Arvind are the 2 debutants in the team roster.

South Africa

Even though he was selected for the ODI series, Rilee Rossouw was ruled out of the T20 series due to an injury. Albie Morkel was summoned to replace the injured David Wiese who had fractured his hand during a warm-up match.

Broadcast Details

TV Channel: Star Sports 1,HD1 (English) and 3,HD3 (Hindi)

Online Stream: www.starsports.com

Date: Friday, October 2

Time: 1900 IST (1530 SAST)

Venue: Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala

Key Stats

• South Africa have never won a limited overs series against India in India.
• India enjoy a 6-2 advantage over South Africa in T20 Internationals.
• Suresh Raina scored India’s only individual century against South Africa in St. Lucia, during the 2010 ICC World T20.
• Currently at 972 runs, Virat Kohli has an opportunity to become the first Indian batsman to reach 1000 T20 International runs. His teammate, Suresh Raina is also not too far behind with 947 T20I runs.
• AB de Villiers has the most dismissals in all T20Is contributing to 63 dismissals from 61 matches when both wicketkeeping and fielding records are included.

Pitch and Conditions

The curator at the HPCA Stadium has promised a pitch with assistance for both batsmen and seam bowlers. With the altitude in Dharamsala set to play a major role, the weather is predicted to be warm.

An overview of the HPCA Stadium

Middle-order batsman Suresh Raina has spoken exclusively about the impact of toss here. The previous matches in this venue have always been dominated by swing bowling. Both captains would also be wary of a copious amount of dew. Hence, it will not be a surprise if both captains desire to bowl first.

Possible Line-ups

India XI

With the top order more or less settled in Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni could look to strengthen the lower-order by persisting with Stuart Binny. Ravichandran Ashwin might be partnered by either Amit Mishra or Axar Patel. The team management is also unlikely to immediately bring the uncapped Sreenath Aravind into the firing line.

Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(Captain and Wicket-keeper), Stuart Binny, Axar Patel/Amit Mishra, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Mohit Sharma

South Africa XI

The South African batting line-up is expected to revolve around the usual suspects in Hashim Amla, De Villiers and JP Duminy. While David Miller is under immense pressure to deliver, he is likely to be retained. Even though the team management could ponder bringing in the recently drafted Albie Morkel, they might also be tempted to use Farhaan Behardien at 7. The bowling attack should be led by the wily Chris Morris and the experienced Imran Tahir.

Hashim Amla, Quinton De Kock (Wicket-keeper), AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis (Captain), JP Duminy, David Miller, Chris Morris, Kyle Abbott, Marchant De Lange, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir

Armed with the presence of numerous flamboyant players in both teams who could potentially decide the outcome of the match, the battleground is expected to be heated up for what appears to be a riveting contest. The caravan will then shift to Cuttack and Kolkata for the remaining 2 T20Is.