Staying in the zone

The recent 101-run favourable outcome over South Africa surely ended up being a treat for the fans, but considering the Indian team's preparation for defending their T20 World Cup title at home, the failure of the top-order batters remained a concern.

While skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill failed to score, the middle-order led by the seasoned Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel managed to get a grip over the match. The bowlers displayed a good show, enough to avoid the 'social media' outburst. The Indian batters, especially Gill, will be surely looking ahead to hit top gear in the next two matches — as they play at the grounds with records favouring the batters — in Mullanpur and Dharamsala.

Though the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in Mullanpur will host its first ever T20 International match, it has hosted some of the Indian Premier League (IPL) games which recorded a heap of runs. It will surely be a platform for local lads Gill and Abhishek Sharma to get into their natural tune, and make a strong comeback at their home ground. If the Indian openers manage to get their aggressive form back, it will be easy for the other batters to eye for a record total, amid chilling winter conditions.

With only a travel day separating the first two games of the five-match series, both the teams didn't have a practice session and the traditional interaction before the match. As soon as the players landed at the airport on Wednesday evening from Cuttack, they were seen enjoying the chilling winds. As the pitch is hosting its first international match in December, it will be interesting to see how conditions challenge the teams.

Returning to national duty from injury, Pandya reaffirmed his status as the leading all-rounder in the game during the opening game. The 32-year-old posted an unbeaten 59 off 28 balls and claimed 1/16. Gill, who too was returning from an injury, was also eager for a similar comeback. Gill and skipper Yadav, who is struggling for form, would want to score big on Thursday.

The selection in the last match also indicated that strike bowler Kuldeep Yadav may not be part of the playing eleven due to the need for batting till number eight. South Africa, on the other hand, would be looking for a drastically better outing with the bat after being bundled out for 74 in the run chase of 176.