00:00Ahead of the highly anticipated T20 World Cup game between India and South Africa,
00:05my colleague Nikhil Nas, who spoke to former India captain Sunil Gavaskar
00:08to find out his thoughts over how the match will play out
00:12and who will be the favourite to win the match.
00:15Listen in.
00:16Right. You know, for now, I know we were building that India-Pakistan game
00:21because of the history that the two countries share.
00:24But in cricketing terms, would you say this is India's biggest game,
00:28in this tournament now, finalists from last time, South Africa?
00:32Definitely, yes.
00:33Because, look, I think Australia would have been the other big game
00:35that India would have had to face, but they're not in the tournament.
00:39So, clearly, the South Africa game becomes a really big game for India,
00:44not just because India beat them in the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup final,
00:50but because in recent times, the South African team have been outstanding
00:56in all forms of the game.
00:58I mean, they beat India in a test series.
01:00And so, I think, yes, they're certainly on a high.
01:03Okay. I'm turning my attention to the game at hand.
01:05That's India versus South Africa.
01:07Now, one thing that we've seen with this Indian team so far
01:11is that you've got a lot of left-handers.
01:14And we saw South Africa focus with Adam Makram doing a lot of work
01:19in the nets, bowling a lot.
01:20And we know that he can bowl in the par play as well.
01:22We've seen some of the off-spinners, Erasmus comes to mind,
01:25Sayem Ayoub comes to my mind, Aryan Dutt comes to my mind,
01:28which have done well against that Indian top order.
01:31Do you think that's a genuine concern?
01:33And if it is, what can India do about it?
01:34Maybe shuffle the batting order.
01:35I don't know.
01:36Some suggest that instead of Tilak, maybe have Sky at three,
01:39Tilak at four, get a right-hander somewhere.
01:41What do you make of it?
01:42Well, they've done well against only one player so far.
01:45They've done well against Abhishek Sharma.
01:47So, I don't think there's anything to worry about.
01:49Yes, I know even Ishaan Kishan got out in the game the other day
01:54against Netherlands.
01:55But that is nothing to worry about.
01:57I don't think India will be looking at which off-spinner is going to come
02:01and start to get shivers.
02:03No, I don't think that's going to happen.
02:06I don't think...
02:07I mean, it'll again be a question of what the score is
02:10at the end of the power play.
02:11And then decide whether it's going to be Surya Kumar Yada
02:14who comes in at three or Tilak Parma who comes in at three.
02:17That all depends on the situation at hand.
02:20How many runs...
02:21Are you chasing runs?
02:22Or are you setting a target?
02:23All that will be taken into account if you're wicket falls.
02:27Actually, that is India's strength as well.
02:29They have quite a flexible batting order, if need be,
02:32as Mr. Gavaskar is also mentioning.
02:33They can always do that rotation in their batting order.
02:36You know, it is a home game for India per se.
02:39The World Cup is happening at home.
02:40But, you know, dare I say, this is South Africa's home.
02:42They've played three out of the four games this tournament.
02:44And I know India, I mean, Ahmedabad, they've played a lot of games.
02:47But this particular tournament, Ahmedabad hasn't been
02:50that high-scoring a pitch that we've seen for some time now.
02:53So, you know, that familiarity that South Africa have,
02:56no travel as well, three out of four games they've played.
02:59India have traveled.
03:00Any sort of advantage?
03:02No, I don't think so.
03:03I don't think any particular advantage,
03:05apart from the fact that they're familiar.
03:06So many of their players play in the IPL.
03:08So they're certainly familiar with the Indian conditions.
03:11They're certainly familiar with the pressure of the Indian crowds.
03:14Because whichever franchise they're playing,
03:16when they play an away game, they feel that pressure.
03:19So clearly, I think they will be used to, you know,
03:22the crowd being against them.
03:24So I don't think that's going to worry the South Africans too much.
03:27It's a different South African team.
03:29This is not the same South African team which is to, you know,
03:33stumble at key moments.
03:35Because ever since that win in the World Test Championship last year,
03:38it's a whole different South African team.
03:40Look, they got over that little, you know, thing where they were always,
03:46you know, fumbling and stumbling and losing.
03:49So I think they got over that with that fine win over Australia.
03:53It was a very good win.
03:55It's not easy to chase 280 in the fourth innings against an Australian team.
03:59And Markram led the way with a brilliant hundred.
04:02And Demba Bahuma also gave him company.
04:04Now, Markram is a captain here.
04:05So I don't think we should be too worried about what the South Africans situation will be like.
04:13In fact, if anything, the South Africans is the team that India will have to watch out for.
04:19That's right.
04:20You know, talking about watching out for,
04:22so far, Saibai, toss hasn't been very important in the tournament.
04:26Because due rally hasn't set in in majority of the venues that we saw.
04:30But on the other hand, India have only batted first throughout this tournament.
04:33They are undefeated, but they've only batted first.
04:35They haven't chased it.
04:36Toss in this game, does it become slightly more important compared to what we've had so far?
04:41Well, two days ago, three days ago, when India played Netherlands,
04:44the due was there, but not to the extent that it could trouble any, any ball.
04:48There was some due towards the end of the match.
04:51So, yes, I think for the Indian spinners are concerned.
04:54That would be something that they would be, you know, a little bit concerned about.
05:00And maybe that is the reason why that match also, India batted first, having won the toss.
05:05Because they wanted to give their bowlers the sort of getting used to bowling with a wet ball.
05:12Otherwise, you know, normally what you would do,
05:14and I would imagine that, you know, what Surya Kumar Yadav would do,
05:16in case Makram calls wrong, is that I think he will opt to field first.
05:23Hmm. That's, that's really interesting.
05:26Say, a word on India's 11th.
05:28We've heard from Surya Kumar Yadav.
05:29I don't know if you're aware of it.
05:30He was asked that, you know, would you be tempted to bring a Sanju again?
05:34I was talking about a right-hander coming in, and maybe for Tillak or Abhishek.
05:38We don't know.
05:39He says, no, you know, it's too early.
05:41I believe in this team.
05:42You think that's the right way to go?
05:44Yes. Yes.
05:45I think you don't want to make any, you know, big changes,
05:47unless it's injury or illness or something like that.
05:49But now, let this team be a settled team.
05:52I don't think there should be too much to worry about.
05:54I think they've got a very, very good team in there.
05:58It's only a matter of whether you want to pick an Arsh team
06:01or a Washington Sundar or a Kuldeep Yadav.
06:04I think that will be the only discussion in the team selection committee.
06:10But otherwise, you know, the rest of the team looks all settled.
06:13What would you do, Saiway, if you were in the decision-making capacity?
06:18I'd stick to Washington Sundar, because it gives a little depth to the batting.
06:24See, if you're not getting the start, and we are struggling with one batter at the moment.
06:29So if you're not getting a start, it's always good to have a little something at the bottom,
06:33at number nine, and somebody who's a pretty useful, you know, T20 bowler as well,
06:38somebody who can come and bowl four overs, and he's an outstanding fielder.
06:41So, yes, I would look at Washington being in this spot.
06:46And finally, Saiway, your prediction for this game, where do you think this game will be won or lost?
06:51I think that this game will be won or lost on the fielding.
06:54Both teams have got some cracking good batters.
06:57The fielding on the boundary is going to be the key.
07:00I've mentioned it often in commentary, and I've written about it as well.
07:04You want your fast-moving fielders on the boundary, the slow-moving fielders in the circle,
07:10because a single will be stolen anyway.
07:12It's on the boundary where they can run left, right, and stop that boundary,
07:16and only can see two runs that will make the difference.
07:19So India needs to get that fielding, field placing, absolutely spot on.
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