South Africa will have to bat better, as individuals and as a unit vs India

Although the equation for South Africa remains a simple one, Sri Lanka’s stunning display to chase down India on Friday has gone some way to transferring the pressure back on to India ahead of Sunday’s game.

South Africa vs India and Sri Lanka vs Pakistan are essentially quarterfinals now, and South Africa will be desperate to show that it is capable of showing its quality at a big tournament.

The way that India dealt with Pakistan in its first game, indicated that it is in quite some form, but the loss to Sri Lanka will have rocked it. Critics will likely say, with the benefit of hindsight, that its approach was potentially too measured given the strong positions it managed to get itself in throughout its batting innings.

South Africa will know that it will have to bat better, as individuals and as a unit, than it did against Pakistan. As a squad, they really do cover all bases and will be keen to show that that squad depth can translate into winning key games such as this. As the No1 ranked side in the world, you have to be at the best, and India will prove to be tough opposition with the talent it has.

One area where I feel India has improved out of sight, certainly since my playing days, is in its seam bowling. It came unstuck against Sri Lanka on Thursday, but in general, its key seamers in Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah have come into this tournament full of confidence.

So, often we’ve seen India rely on its seemingly endless flock of quality spinners, but we’re now seeing its seam options keeping someone with the quality that R Ashwin possesses being left out in their favour. I’ve been really impressed with their form both during the tournament and in the buildup, and it’ll be interesting to see what their plans vs SA.