Amidst questions raised about selection and the exposure of some weaknesses, India will look to end the challenging series against South Africa on a positive note by winning the fifth and final T20 International in Ahmedabad on Friday. India is far from losing this series.
Why India should win the 5th match of the series
If they win the 5th match, they will win the series, and if they lose, it will be a draw. Therefore, more than India’s victory or defeat in the fifth T20, all eyes will be on the performance of captain Suryakumar Yadav. The T20 World Cup is just a few weeks away, and the captain’s form is crucial for that.
India made a remarkable comeback to win the ODI series after losing the Test series 0-2. They now have an unassailable 2-1 lead in the T20 series after the fourth match was abandoned due to bad weather in Lucknow on Wednesday. It is certain that India cannot lose this series now which should be a relief for head coach Gautam Gambhir as two of the team’s key players, Suryakumar Yadav and Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, have been struggling to score runs for some time now.
Team needs to work on these weaknesses
The form of Suryakumar, who was until recently ranked number one in the world, is a major concern for India. He has not scored a single half-century in 18 innings across 20 T20 matches this year. During this period, he has scored 213 runs at an average of 14.20.
Gill’s inability to perform in the shorter formats will also be a concern for India ahead of the T20 World Cup early next year. He suffered an injury during practice in the previous match, making his participation in the final match doubtful. India will not consider taking any risks, as they already have a good top-order option in Sanju Samson.
Apart from this, the Indian team looks balanced as both all-rounders Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dubey have been included in the playing eleven in all the three matches played so far. In the fast bowling attack, Arshdeep Singh is getting into his rhythm while Harshit Rana has also performed well.