Ahead of Saturday’s Men’s T20 World Cup final between South Africa and India, Sky Sports pundits Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton and Eoin Morgan assess where the match may be decided.
South Africa skittled Afghanistan for just 56 en route to a nine-wicket victory on a spicy track in Trinidad as they won a World Cup semi-final after seven failed attempts, while India thumped 2022 champions England by 68 runs on a slow surface in Guyana.
One of these teams will become the first to win the Men’s T20 World Cup having gone through the tournament unbeaten, so will it be a first World Cup success for South Africa or first since 2011 for India?
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Watch how South Africa stormed into their first Men’s T20 World Cup final with a nine-wicket win over Afghanistan in Trinidad
Here is our pundits’ take ahead of the Barbados showdown, which you can watch on Sky Sports Cricket from 3pm (3.30pm first ball).
Is the pressure on India?
Sky Sports Cricket’s Nasser Hussain:
“You’d be a fool to say India beat England because of the conditions. They played on a bouncy pitch against Australia, who love those conditions, in St Lucia and won.
“Their batting line-up. Their pace attack. Their spinners. They have every base covered. And a slight advantage is that they have played a game here in Barbados and South Africa haven’t.
“South Africa have got that monkey off their back of seven semi-finals lost and if the pressure can be off, then it shifts to India.
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India skipper Rohit Sharma hit eight sixes during his swashbuckling 92 from 41 balls against Australia in the Super 8s
“India have not won a title for a very long time. For all their resources and the players they have, they feel it is about time to win it and all of India will be expecting them to win it.
“As for South Africa, they made some difficult decisions, focusing on their franchise T20 competition and choosing not to send players to New Zealand for Test cricket.
“They took a gamble and copped a lot of stick for that [but it has paid off]. It would mean so much to South Africa but it means so much to India as well.”
Watch the Men’s T20 World Cup final between India and South Africa live on Sky Sports Cricket from 3pm on Saturday (3.30pm first ball)
‘Hopefully the pitch has pace’
Sky Sports Cricket’s Michael Atherton:
“The best two teams are in the final.
“On a slow, low holding pitch, India would be much stronger favourites, so I hope there is a pitch with pace. If it goes through, South Africa’s pace battery comes into it.
“It is a significant pace battery. We saw against Afghanistan that if there is a bit in the pitch, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen are dangerous.
India fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has taken 13 wickets in the T20 World Cup an an average of 8.15 and economy rate of 4.12
“However, Jasprit Bumrah has been the bowler of the tournament. He is not the leading wicket-taker but when he has ball in hand, he has been incredibly difficult to get away.
“As a chasing side, you almost fashion your chase around him. You can’t afford to get too far behind the rate for the 17th and 19th overs that he bowls.”
‘South Africa must go blow for blow with India’
Sky Sports Cricket’s Eoin Morgan:
“I think India, having been in finals before, are better equipped to apply pressure than South Africa and South Africa will have go blow for blow with the bat.
“If they don’t, India could bat them out of the game as they did to England in the semi-finals. Rohit Sharma embodies that shift in attacking mindset for India.
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Reeza Hendricks hit the winning runs as South Africa beat Afghanistan in the semi-final in Tarouba
“India have had a short turnaround from playing in the second semi-final but they will be used to that from the IPL. You may play three games in five days and be dotted around all four corners of India.
“South Africa had quite a light workout against Afghanistan and should be fresher, but India will be immune to [the tiredness].”
Watch the T20 World Cup final between India and South Africa, at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados, live on Sky Sports Cricket from 3pm on Saturday (3.30pm first ball).
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