Plot:

After squaring off against the hosts in 11 matches across formats, India will be playing the first series decider of the tour, when they face South Africa in Cape Town this Saturday. The Proteas were tested in whites, humbled in the ODIs and are facing tough competition in the ongoing T20I series by the Men in Blue. However, the hosts will be happy with the way they bounced back to level the series on the back of magnificent performances by their captain, JP Duminy and extremely talented wicket-keeper, Heinrich Klaasen. The latter has been instrumental in their victories in the fourth ODI and the last T20I. The South African camp will be hoping that he continues the good work in the final match of the series too. The Protea bowlers were taken to the cleaners by Manish Pandey and MS Dhoni in the last match, but they have found a promising player in the form of Junior Dala, who has provided them with early breakthroughs in both the T20Is, and a repeat of the performance is what the captain will be hoping for.

Meanwhile, for Virat Kohli, there were plenty of positives to take from the last match, as the Indian middle order stepped up, when the opportunity arose. Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli were back in the pavilion in the first Powerplay itself, and the Indian middle order consisting of Raina, Dhoni and Pandey were among the runs; a great sight for the team. It was an off day for leg spinner, Yuzvendra Chahal, while India also missed the services of Jasprit Bumrah. With the series on the line, it will be interesting to watch what combination takes the field in their last match of the tour.

JP Duminy, on the other hand, would like to carry on with the winning momentum, from the convincing victory on Wednesday evening to end the series on a good note. The South African skipper got a few runs under his belt and played a pivotal role in his team’s victory. While the batsmen impressed at Centurion, the bowling continues to be a matter of concern for the hosts. Come Saturday, we will find out whether they will be able to contain this star-studded Indian line-up or not.

Stage

Newlands, Cape Town

More than a month ago, this is where the South African tour kick-started for the Indians. While Team India lost the first Test here, Virat and co won the 50-over encounter later. Interestingly, this is the first time they will be playing a T20I at this venue. South Africa don’t have a good record at Newlands, having lost 5 of the 8 T20Is they played at the picturesque venue.

Acts

Virat Kohli v Junior Dala

The Indian captain has been kept quiet in the ongoing T20I series and Junior Dala managed to do something which most bowlers couldn’t; induce a false shot off Virat Kohli’s bat. The Indian skipper has been in sensational form throughout the tour and would love to get a few runs under his belt in the T20I series too. Can South Africa keep him quiet for the third time in a row?

Yuzvendra Chahal v Heinrich Klaasen

The wily leggie hasn’t been at his best in the T20I series yet, and has picked up only a solitary wicket. He was tormented by the opposition in the last game, particularly Heinrich Klaasen. This is the second time that the Protea wicket-keeper has played a match-winning knock for them. It will be interesting to see if the previous match’s spell affects Chahal’s bowling when he takes the field in Cape Town, which is the same venue where he took a 4-fer in the ODI series.

Suresh Raina v Temperament

The southpaw came in at 3 in both the matches, got starts, looked good on both occasions, and then threw his wicket away by playing rash shots. Suresh Raina needs to convert these promising starts into big innings for him to solidify his position in the team. He can make runs very quickly, once he gets set. So, he just needs to be patient and calm himself down, instead of playing a big shot off every delivery. He will be eager to make a greater impact in the series decider, this Saturday.