South Africa’s limited-overs skipper Temba Bavuma has admitted that his side will be circumspect while facing India’s leg-spinning pair of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav in the upcoming 5-match T20I series starting on Thursday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi.
Temba Bavuma Is Wary Of Two Indian Cricketers
Bavuma almost opened the wounds of the chaos Chahal and Kuldeep caused on India’s 2018 tour of South Africa – when the duo picked a combined 33 wickets in the 6 ODIs, and then 5 wickets together in the IND vs SA 2019 World Cup game.
And although Chahal and Kuldeep had been out of the Indian team after the World Cup, both are coming off spectacular IPL seasons – Chahal was the Purple Cap winner with 26 wickets and Kuldeep snapped up 21 – into the IND vs SA T20I series. Hence, the wariness of Bavuma and his batters against the Kul-Cha.
“We’ve played against them (Kuldeep and Chahal) a couple of times, and one hopes that this time we have a better understanding. The guys are individually speaking about them, discussing in team meetings. They will have their individual ways of approaching spin and how they can be successful against the pair,” Temba Bavuma said in the pre-series press conference.
Bavuma is banking on the information from his senior players – such as Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram and David Miller who have played Chahal and Kuldeep internationally and in the IPL – to pass down their knowledge to the youngsters. The Protea skipper also expressed promise in the way his batters have tackled spin over the last year-and-half.
“For the younger guys, it will be important how they receive the knowledge that the seniors share. But, the way we have played slow bowling over the last 18 months or so, as a group, it gives us a lot of confidence and self-belief that we can dominate spin bowling this time (in India),” he added.
Here’s South Africa’s squad for the IND vs SA series:
Temba Bavuma (C), Quinton de Kock, Reeza Hendricks, Heinrich Klaasen, Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Wayne Parnell, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Tristan Stubbs, Rassie van der Dussen and Marco Jansen.
