The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangaluru is set to bring us live action for the fifth and final T20I between India and South Africa come Sunday. India have bounced back brilliantly from their first two games, and they have done so in great fashion. Two thumping victories against the South Africans have boosted their chances for a crucial series victory.
With Ishan Kishan taking charge in the Powerplay and with a powerful middle order of Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya, Team India may have found the right balance they were looking for. Avesh Khan was the pick of the bowlers in the last game as he picked up four wickets. He will be hoping to get the crucial support from Harshal Patel and Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the fifth game as well. Rishabh Pant and his men will be looking to end the series on a high note and carry forward the momentum into their upcoming series against Ireland.
Things have not gone as planned for South Africa in the previous two games. They have succumbed to crushing defeats at the hands of India, having lost the last two games by 48 and 82 runs respectively. Temba Bavuma and his men have to bounce back and they will be looking to end the series the way they began. Their batting has not performed up to the mark in the previous two games, and they will be relying on their batters to turn up on the big day. A win for them will undoubtedly boost their chances ahead of the T20I World Cup, and they will be looking for nothing less than a crucial victory in Bangalore.
Match: India vs South Africa, Sunday, 19 June 2022
Match details
Venue: M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore
Time: 7:00 pm (IST)
Where to watch: Star Sports Network | Disney+ Hotstar
Pitch report
As the records stand, one can only expect fireworks in Bengaluru. The stadium has played host to several T20I and IPL matches and has proven to be a paradise for the batters. Considering the lethal batting both the teams possess, it shall be a tough day for the bowlers. I predict a score of 160+ at least by the team batting first. Expect the captain winning the toss to have his side bat first.
Probable playing XIs
India
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (c & wk), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal, Avesh Khan
Bench: Deepak Hooda, Venkatesh Iyer, Ravi Bishnoi, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh
South Africa
Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klassen, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Wayne Parnell, Lungi Ngidi, Tabrais Shamsi, Anrich Nortje, Keshav Maharaj
Bench: Tristan Stubbs, Marco Jansen, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram, Kagiso Rabada
Head-to-head
Matches Played: 19 | India: 11 | South Africa: 8
Last five matches: India: 3 | South Africa: 2
Batter to watch out for: Hardik Pandya
Hardik Pandya has cemented his position in the Indian middle order, and his performances justify his inclusion. Having arrived on the pitch to bat when India were 40/3 in the fourth T20I, he carried the match on his back with support from Dinesh Karthik and managed to score a blistering knock of 46 from 31 balls. He has scored 117 runs in four games in this series and is in top form going into the final game.
Bowler to watch out for: Avesh Khan
After no wickets from his first three games, Avesh Khan justified his inclusion in the team by dismantling the South African batting order in the last game. He picked up four wickets and gave away just 18 runs. He will be looking to carry forward this momentum into the last game and help his team clinch the series. With the T20I World Cup around the corner, Avesh knows he has to stay consistent for a place in the team considering the competition. Expect him to be among the wicket-takers again in the fifth T20I.
Fantasy XI
Dinesh Karthik, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan, Rassie van der Dussen, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya (c), Dwaine Pretorius (vc), Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi
Match prediction
After losing their captain at the beginning of the series and suffering two back-to-back defeats, Team India have bounced back brilliantly by dominating and winning the third and fourth T20Is. Things have not gone as planned for South Africa in the previous two games, and they will be looking to quickly turn things around ahead of the series-decider.
This is a tough call to make, but given the form exhibited by Team India in the last two matches and with momentum on their side, I expect them to emerge victorious and clinch the T20I series.
