India vs. South Africa, 3rd T20: Odds, Key Players and Prediction
Crowd trouble captured all the headlines in the most recent T20 meeting between India and South Africa, overshadowing the fact the visitors won by six wickets in Cuttack.
Nevertheless, with India now 2-0 down in the series, the attention will surely drift away from off-field issues to focus on the pair's upcoming battle as the hosts look to salvage themselves some pride. They produced their second lowest T20 score on Monday, all out for 92, only bettered by their 74 against Australia in 2008.
They will be hoping their level of performance improves considerably if they are to stand any chance of making a contest out of the next match in the series.
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Before we analyse the key men on both sides, it's interesting to note that the South Africans are not the odds-on favourites for the next match in the series. However, there are plenty of other intriguing elements on display, as revealed by Oddschecker in the table below.
| Category | ||
| 3rd T20 Test | India (13/14) | South Africa (20/19) |
| Top Batsman | AB de Villiers (5/2) | Rohit Sharma (3/1) |
| Top Bowler | Ravichandran Ashwin (11/4) | Imran Tahir (13/4) |
South Africa Key Player: AB de Villiers
It was Albie Morkel who stood out most with his performance in the series-clinching win as he celebrated a return to the side by capturing 3 for 12. However, it's hard to look past De Villiers as the key man for the Proteas going forward.
One of the greatest batsmen to ever grace the game, he might be 31 years of age, but it's still difficult to see his breathtaking powers waning considerably in the long term.
Bowled by Ravichandran Ashwin on Monday, he looks to be going through a transitional period following a return to opening the batting, something Shamik Chakrabarty of the Indian Express was eager to hammer home.
"AB is the best batsman in the world in this form of the game. He bats 360 degrees and when he gets going, he can give the best bowlers an inferiority complex. He, however, had opened only once in 59 T20 internationals prior to the series against Bangladesh in July this year."
This is how de Villiers lost his wicket:
What will make De Villiers' performance all the more intriguing is the fact he looks set to continue opening the batting for South Africa, as reported by the Times of India's Sourav Modak. Putting their best foot forward, his position at the head of the lineup not only adds intent early on, but it's also likely to make a huge difference to their mentality.
Crucially, it is something that could prove pivotal to their game plan moving forward, especially with the T20 World Cup on the horizon. A consistent hitter of the ball, De Villiers is renowned for his capacity to put opposing fielders under immense pressure, and he'll be keen to better the 19 runs scored in his last outing.
India Key Player: MS Dhoni
Dismissing the aforementioned crowd trouble as little more than boisterous fans acting up "just for fun," as relayed by Sports.ndtv, it's clear the 34-year-old wasn't eager to make excuses for his team's loss.
Far more focused on fixing his own game, Dhoni stressed just how important it was for himself to iron out any creases in his own performance and mentality. As relayed by ESPN Cricinfo's Sidarth Monga it's his desire to go for a more uninhibited style that is highest on his list of priorities for T20 cricket.
"It is a very short format. Personally I feel I use a bit too much of my brain in this format. It is very important that I keep myself a bit free, and go and play my shots."
If he can do just that, Dhoni might give the fans something positive to cheer about.
However, perhaps most important of all for Dhoni will be his leadership skills, as it will be up to him to call the right shots at the right moments. India are in need of a strong leader right now, a figure who can lift confidence. Dhoni must set the example.
Prediction:
It's hard to look past anything other than a South Africa triumph here.
With momentum behind them and with India in their pockets, they know where to apply pressure, which is what they have been doing consistently throughout the series to date.
As mentioned, De Villiers will be one of their most important players on the day, but he's ably supported by the likes of Jean-Paul Duminy, Farhaan Behardien and David Miller in a deep South Africa batting lineup.
No doubt, India will be eager to avoid another disappointing showing, but it will surely take more than one match before they get back up to speed.
Playing for pride in their own backyard is unlikely to be enough for them to claim victory, especially with skipper Dhoni still getting to grips with things following a recent return after a lengthy spell away from the setup. That said, it promises to be interesting watching them regroup after a heavy couple of defeats.
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