PAKISTAN TOURS SOUTH AFRICA 2021
Five of South Africa’s players will play their final game of the series on Sunday © Getty
There was no time for Temba Bavuma to adjust to his new role as international captain, as he found himself in the background during a crazy finish in the first ODI. And with the imminent departure of a number of South African pillars for the IPL, things probably won’t get much easier. This game, then, is the last chance for the hosts to max out their entire lineup before the quintet of Anrich Nortje, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, Quinton de Kock and David Miller head to India.
But while the World Cup Super League results and subsequent points, which South Africa does not have, are important, there will have to be a margin of error at this stage from Bavuma’s captaincy as he tries to establish the style of play that will define. the team in the future. They couldn’t do that after losing what Rassie van der Dussen said was a great launch at Centurion. Conditions won’t be much different either as the action moves to Johannesburg on Sunday, and morning bowling is likely the way to go.
Regardless of whether or not the nature of the pitch changed over the course of the first game of the tour, it is clear where Pakistan’s strength lies in hitting. Having reached his thirteenth ODI hundred faster than anyone else in the game, Babar Azam is one of the best in the business and a huge source of trust in the higher order. But as Nortje demonstrated, things can get a bit shaky if you get over it. Going into this series, Pakistan was eager to try a new, more aggressive approach to the bat. However, as with South Africa, the launches could hamper its implementation, as could its lower middle order comprised of Danish newcomer Aziz, Asif Ali and Shadab Khan.
Pakistan’s bowling alley of death is also an area they would like to work on after it was put to the test by van der Dussen’s late attack, while they would ask for a bit more of Shadab through the intermissions, though not there is probably a lot on offer for him.
When: South Africa vs Pakistan, 2nd ODI, 10 am local
Where: The Wanderers, Johannesburg
What to expect: The launch will be crucial again, as the daytime games at Highveld, forced by Coronavirus regulations, mean early morning help for closers, and the field is likely to relax later. However, the launch could be faster than in Centurion. The weather must be clear throughout the day.
Team news
South Africa: The home team’s plan would have been to win the first two games, and therefore the series, before the IPL contingent left. That is now debatable. Friday’s 11th is still the best South Africa can put in the park. You can think of replacing Aiden Markram with Janneman Malan, but Mark Boucher gave Markram a strong vote of confidence Thursday, not much more than a thought. Expect a team without changes.
Possible XI: Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi.
Pakistan: After watching your middle order falter from a comfortable position in the chase, would you be tempted to make a switch to hitting? There is an option to include Haider Ali at all four, with Rizwan dropping one spot as it had against Zimbabwe. But they may not alter your combination right away. The visitors also decided not to rush Hasan Ali immediately into the team after recovering from Covid-19. Therefore, he could be given more time to regain the physical form of the match.
Possible XI: Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Hasnain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf
What they say:
“Pitching plays a big role in daytime games at Highveld. It’s so much better to hit as the day goes on, and it gets really hard to defend.” – Rassie van der Dussen says the field first in Centurion and Joburg.
“We want to learn from our mistakes and turn these 70s and 80s into match winning shots and turn a win like this into a seven or six wicket win” – Imam-ul-Haq takes responsibility after Pakistan nearly ruins the chase in the first ODI.
© Cricbuzz
