Walk and jump. These are the words that come to mind when we think of cricket in South Africa. However, things were completely different in the first two T20Is of the current series. There was so much help for the spinners that India looked more at home than the hosts.
In total, spinners from both sides have a combined 16 scalps and come in at 6.51 per over. The fast bowlers, despite bowling almost seven overs more, have 12 and go at 8.58.
The conditions in the third T20I, however, are expected to be different from those in the first two. The first two were played in coastal cities, Durban and Gqeberha, and the teams managed to surpass the 150 mark only once in four innings.
So what is India’s plan for Wednesday? “South Africa’s batsmen are struggling against spin,” said Arshdeep. “So the idea is to contain it from the start and give a good platform to our spinners to attack and take wickets.”
“I don’t think we played spin as well as we wanted to in PE. There were some soft layoffs where we felt like we could definitely make better decisions and execute better.
“It’s important that we try to score straight against the spinners. It’s the same for them; they don’t want to go too full because that’s easier to play with. They want to be lower. It’s not spinning too much; the ball just glides so they know that if it’s fuller, it’s easier to score. If it’s full, we can leave.
With the ball, South Africa’s plan looks different from India’s. Their key fast bowlers – Jansen and Gerald Coetzee, both returning from injuries – have been quicker and more accurate than their Indian counterparts and will aim to strike early.
“In the Highveld, the ball travels much further than on the coast,” said Jansen. “So it is important to take wickets at regular intervals because it is very difficult to restrict the scoring rate.”
Arshdeep is aware that he may have to play a key role for India. “I’m looking forward to what the wicket offers here,” he said. “It all depends on the conditions, the pitch, the situation, whether it’s trying to take wickets or trying to contain.
“When you are playing two overs at the start and two at the end, it really depends on you – you can win a game or lose it. So there is a lot of responsibility. When you play at the end, some days are good, some days are bad . You try to maintain balance and not overthink. The effort is to keep things simple, not complicate them and fulfill what the team demands of me.
Hemant Brar is deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo
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