St George’s Park stadium. (Photo Source: X(Twitter)
The first match of the much-awaited T20I series between India and South Africa was washed out in Durban. The two teams will play the second game of the three-match series at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on December 12. This will be the first T20I encounter between India and South Africa at the venue.
In eight T20I series between these two sides, India have emerged victorious four times, while South Africa have won two. The remaining two series ended in a draw. In the four series played in South Africa, India have won three, while the Proteas have won one.
India will be led by Suryakumar Yadav as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have been rested. Ravindra Jadeja has made a return to the side and has also been named as the vice-captain. Meanwhile, Shubman Gill is set to join the team after his post-World Cup break. As for South Africa, they will be led by Aiden Markram.
SA vs IND Head-to-Head Record:
The two teams have faced each other in 24 T20Is, with India emerging victorious 13 times and South Africa 10 while one match ended in no result. In South Africa, the ‘Men in Blue’ have won five out of seven matches while the hosts have won two.
| Matches | India won | South Africa won | Tie | NR |
| 24 | 13 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
St George’s Park Stadium T20I Stats & Records:
In three matches played at the venue, pacers have claimed 29 wickets at an average of 18.34, while spinners have accounted for just six wickets at an average of 31.83. Batting first has resulted in two victories while batting second has yielded one win. The average first-innings score in St George’s Park is 99.
| Matches Played |
3 |
| Won Batting First | 2 |
| Won Batting Second | 1 |
| No Result | 1 |
| Matches Tied | 0 |
| Average First Innings Score | 99 |
| Highest Team Totals | 179/6 |
| Lowest team Totals | No completed innings |
| Highest successful Chase | 60/5 |
| Matches won after winning the toss | 3 |
| Matches won after losing the toss |
0 |
SA vs IND Player Battles to Watch Out For
Shreyas Iyer vs Marco Jansen
Shreyas Iyer has played only one innings against Marco Jansen in T20Is. He was dismissed for four off two.
Tristan Stubbs vs Deepak Chahar
Tristan Stubbs has struggled against Deepak Chahar in T20Is in two innings. He has only scored two runs and been dismissed on both occasions by the pacer.
X-factors for South Africa vs India
India:
Suryakumar Yadav has been in good form with the bat in 2023, having scored 577 runs at an average of 44.38 with four half-centuries and one century in T20Is. He has aggregated 187 at an average of 62.33 against South Africa, with three half-centuries in the format.
South Africa:
Reeza Hendricks has been in good form with the bat in 2023, having scored 216 runs in five innings at an average of 43.20, with two half-centuries in T20Is.
South Africa vs India Predicted Playing XI:
India:
Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav(C), Ishan Kishan(WK), Rinku Singh, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj
South Africa:
Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (C), Heinrich Klaasen (WK), David Miller, Tristan Stubbs, Donovan Ferreira, Andile Phehlukwayo, Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi