The South Africa tour of India 2022 will begin on the 9th of June. The series is certainly not going to be a bilateral dead rubber. The reason is the fact that India is on the verge to create history by winning 13 T20Is consecutively. The team has been unbeaten since the loss to New Zealand at the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. The India VS SA 2022 series will also see the comeback and debuts of future stars. The Indian team is very keen to make a good combination for the upcoming World Cup in Australia. So, here is a look at the 5 things that the Indian team and South African team will be looking forward to:
1) The Comeback of Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik will take place in India VS SA 2022:
The Indian team has been dying for a good finisher. Looks like their search for a good finisher has finally come to an end. And it is a couple of two old players who are expected to do the job. Venkatesh Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav did the job brilliantly in the series against Sri Lanka and the West Indies but Surya is injured and Venky is out of form now.
Hardik Pandya is making a comeback after injury. He was out of action for over a year. His rehabilitation program at the National Cricket Academy was completed just before the IPL 2022. His performances in TATA IPL 2022 speak volumes of the confidence and talent he has. He has a lot to contribute.
Dinesh Karthik was also dropped from the national team after the ICC ODI World Cup 2019. He was made a scapegoat for the failure of the national team. Dinesh then drifted to commentary and had a great stint in that profession. But his first love is playing the game and he did that very well in TATA IPL 2022. He played at an average of 45 with a strike rate of 183! This has resulted in him getting a call back to the national team.
2) Tristan Stubbs, a South African Gem or just Hype?
Tristan Stubbs is an exciting talent. A word regarding his potential has spread in the cricketing world. The Mumbai Indians have a great habit of grooming these young South African players. They have previously helped the CSA get gems like Richard Levi, Davy Jacobs, and Marco Jansen. Even Dewald Brevis was bought to the global stage by the Mumbai Indians. Similarly, the time has now come for Tristan Stubbs. Stubbs was playing domestic cricket for Eastern Province when he got called by the Mumbai Indians.
His numbers in the domestic South African leagues are above average. Mumbai bought Tristan in the limelight when they gave him his first IPL cap in the second last game of their season. Tristan was dismissed for a duck in both the games he played but he was playing according to situations, so that is fair enough in T20 cricket. So, it will be amazing to know whether Tristan is genuinely a great talent or just a hit and miss!
3) Pace Sensation Umran Malik:
“Pace Sensation” or “Jammu Express” Umran Malik was drafted to the national team after he had an exceptional IPL with the Sunrisers Hyderabad. The thing that has worked in Umran’s favor is the absence of Jasprit Bumrah from the squad. So, it is pretty much sure that Umran is going to get a game in this 5-match series.
In TATA IPL 2022, Umran was scaring the batters by sheer pace. He got a 5-for against the Gujarat Titans. He was clocking 145+ clicks consistently. Every game in which he featured saw him take home the “Swiggy fastest delivery of the match” award. He is a tear-away, break-through, quick bowler. The Indian team management needs to find a way to effectively use this natural pace by making sure Umran bowls in the right areas. He has shown his potential in the IPL and now it is time that international cricket puts him to the test.
4) Indian Middle-Order Vows will be solved in India VS South Africa 2022:
The Indian Middle Order vows to need to be solved as soon as possible. And India VS SA 2022 series is the perfect time to sort it out. A lot will rely on Rishabh Pant as he is the only senior batter in the middle order. Suryakumar Yadav is one top prospect to make it to the flight to Australia in October but the other pieces of the puzzle are yet to be found. The likely candidates for the middle-order batting are as follows:
- 1) Hardik Pandya
- 2) Shreyas Iyer
- 3) Rishabh Pant
- 4) Deepak Hooda
I will be keen to see how these players do. Deepak Hooda has been criminally underrated as his performances in the limited number of chances that he has got were impressive. Also, he played supremely well for the Lucknow Super Giants. Shreyas Iyer on the other hand can deal with his short ball problems. The South African bowling attack consisting of Kagiso Rabada, Arich Nortje, and Marco Jansen is going to test him. He can work on his drawbacks and do very well. Rishabh Pant’s numbers in the shortest format are very poor so it is high time that Rishabh delivers according to his potential.
5) South African Batters will be tested in India VS South Africa 2022:
The Indian bowling line-up also looks very formidable. The team has the express pace of Umran Mailk, the experience of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzi Chahal, the spin-maestro, and all the other bowlers. The weakness of the South African team in recent years has been their batting and this series is a good chance for the South African batters to do well. The batting department has very experienced and fresher faces as well.
Quinton De Kock would be very keen to carry his sensational form of the TATA IPL 2022 season in the India VS SA 2022 series. David Miller has also found his old touch. The “Killer Miller” that each of us has known over the years is back. His game against the spinners has been a talking point as he has worked a lot on it. Tritan Stubbs is also an exciting talent. Rassie Van Der Dussen is another very underrated player. Dussen’s innings of 95 against England at the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 went unnoticed.
To read more such articles go to Indian Cricket Team: How has India Become Paradise of Fast Bowling?
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To know more go to the official website of the BCCI.