ICC world Cup : India take on South Africa Sunday at Melbourne to keep alive winning streak
21 Feb, Melbourne
India will take on South Africa in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 tomorrow- Sunday at Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The Pool B match will begin at 9:00 am Indian time This is second fixture for both the sides and they are taking on each other after an emphatic win.
Prior to Sunday’s match, they have played each other 3 times, 1992, 1999 and 2011 in ICC World Cup, and South Africa have emerged victorious in all the 3 encounters.
This time around Team India is all set to go for a win against Proteas in its second encounter of the 2015 edition of World Cup .
Since South Africa is going to its second match with the strongest batting line-up of the world, it will be a huge task for the inexperienced Indian pacers to, firstly, contain the South Africa batsmen, and secondly, pick up their wickets.
Mohammed Shami will have to lead the attack. Though Mohit Sharma bowled well against Pakistan, he did not have to deliver balls to batsmen of the calibre of Amla or de Villiers.
When it comes to India’s batting, Kohli is the answer to de Villiers or Amla. The 26-year-old has been India’ prime batsman for the last couple of years, is a big-game player, and is also amongst runs following his match-winning knock of 107 against Pakistan.
The good thing for India was that opener Shikhar Dhawan has also looked in-form recently. Left-handed Suresh Raina’s explosive innings and the ever-dependable skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni provide the stability India needs in the middle-order.
However, the Indian batsmen will have to be wary of one very fast bowler — Dale Steyn — who can wreak havoc for any batting line-up in the world on any given day. Steyn’s pace and accuracy is a lethal combo any captain would ask for.
Dhoni will have another important issue to discuss with the team management ahead of the clash and that is the bowling combination.
Another match between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka is also scheduled for tomorrow at Dunedin, New Zealand.
In the World Cup points table so far, Pool A is lead by co-hosts New Zealand followed by Australia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the top four slot, India is leading Pool B trailed by West Indies, South Africa and Ireland.