India’s batting and South Africa’s pace bowling will be the matchup: Ex-Indian keeper

Former Indian keeper-batter Saba Karim has stated that India’s batting and South Africa’s pace bowling would be the perfect matchup to watch out for when these two sides take on each other in the Super 8 clash on Sunday, February 22, in Ahmedabad.

Speaking exclusively on ESPNCricinfo, Karim asserted that Indian batters know how to tackle the South African pacers, who are bowling at an average speed of 143 kph. Furthermore, he predicted Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram as batters to watch out for from the South African line-up.

“India’s batting and South Africa’s pace bowling will be the matchup. They have pacers who can crack up speeds of 144-145 kmph. In the last game, the average speed was 143, but it shouldn’t affect Indian batters much. Indian batters know how to make the most of their pace. I think that should be the preparation to counter South Africa’s pace bowling threat,” Saba Karim told ESPNCricinfo.

"Quinton de Kock has already smashed one half-century. In T20, you play a high-risk game, so you lose a wicket. Can he play an impactful knock? Yes, definitely. Aiden Markram is a stable batter. His batting reminds me of Nissanka,” he added.

Moreover, the former cricketer reckoned that India emerged victorious from the jaws of defeat in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa. He felt that South Africa would be looking to end their heartbreak with a comfortable win in this game against India.

“Mouth-watering clash. You can imagine that in the last edition of the T20 World Cup, it was a very close match between India and South Africa. South Africa were looking to close that game. Thanks to Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and Rishabh Pant, as well as the strategy, which helped India recover and win the match. They won the trophy after so many years. The same team will face off, and South Africa will be in pain, and they will be looking to end their heartbreak,” he concluded.

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