Quinton de Kock
Credit: PTI Photo
Kolkata: At the start of the World Cup, few would have thought an India-South Africa clash would assume so much significance. That honour was always reserved for an India-Australia or an India-Pakistan game.
While both those games turned out to be lopsided affairs, it remains to be seen how Sunday's match - which could potentially decide who is going to top the table - pans out here at the Eden Gardens.
South African batters have been setting new benchmarks while the Indian pacers have been the talk of the tournament. Though South Africa quickly shrugged off their shock loss to the Netherlands, the Indian attack will provide them the real test. It won't be any different for the home bowlers who have blown away all comers.
The most prolific batting group versus the most lethal pace attack - it's a battle for one-upmanship. That a fair few questions from SA scribes to Protea skipper Temba Bavuma revolved around the threat the Indian pace attack could present to their batters, reflecting the kind of impact Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj have left on the rival teams.
Besides the lethal home attack, South Africa will also have to contend with the occasion. The visitors have managed to stay under the radar but there is no escaping the attention, the pressure and the overbearing chaos that are inevitable factors while facing India in India. The significance of the match in terms of winning some brownie points and gaining a psychological edge and the intimidating ambience that a capacity Eden creates can be unnerving even for the best in the business.
TEAM TALK
INDIA
Having posted five wins on the trot while chasing targets, India proved they can be as dominating while setting targets in the last two matches. That run faces the true test against South Africa.
While Hardik Pandya's injury-forced exit from the tournament wasn't exactly the news India wanted to hear ahead of a crucial clash, how it influences the team's strategy, especially batting, remains to be seen. That they have opted for pacer Prasish Krishna in place of the injured all-rounder indicates they are not averse to going without a batter at No. 8. In that case, will skipper Rohit Sharma continue to play in the same blazing fashion that he has been and risk exposing the tail early in the event of a collapse or play more cautiously?
Birthday boy Virat Kohli, too, is going to be in focus as he chases century No. 49 which would help him level with Sachin Tendulkar.
FORM GUIDE INDIA: WWWWW
SOUTH AFRICA
Just as the Indian batters, despite their excellent show, have been relegated to second place with the pacers hogging most of the limelight, South African pacers have sailed under the giant shadows of their batters. The Proteas' pacers have been the most prolific with Marco Jansen, Gerald Coetzee and Kagiso Rabada bagging a combined 41 wickets between them - three more than the Indian pace trio.
South Africa are obviously aware of the magnitude of the game, and skipper Temba Bavuma admitted the importance of not getting carried away by the overwhelming occasion or getting bogged down by the pressure of facing India. How well they tackle these extraneous factors will have a bearing on their performance.
FORM GUIDE: SOUTH AFRICA: WWWWL
PLAYERS IN SPOTLIGHT
INDIA
Ruling out Hardik for the remainder of the World Cup will compel India to stick to their five-bowler combo that has worked wonderfully well in the last three matches. Shami has provided an extra edge to the attack even as Siraj returned to his wicket-taking ways against Sri Lanka. India would have been more pleased, rather relieved, with Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill's batting efforts against Lanka.
While Iyer did quell his concerns against the short ball, Gill converted a good start. This year has shown us that Gill is a rhythm batter and once he gets going, he comes up with a series of big knocks. But watch out for Kuldeep Yadav. If the Eden pitch possesses the bounce it usually does, the left-wrist spinner can leave the South African batters in a spin.
SOUTH AFRICA
Though the South African batting has been on a roll, Bavuma's form has been a concern. In five matches, he has managed just 111 runs at an average of 22.20.
"I guess for me, I just need to keep sticking to my processes, keep preparing as well as I can and if I'm doing that, hopefully the result will take care of itself," said Bavuma to a pointed question about his form.
While his failures have been papered over so far with the collective might of Proteas' batting coming to the fore more often, it's a situation they can ill afford to continue with.
PITCH/CONDITIONS
Ever since the square was relaid at the Eden six years ago, it has been a fairplay between bat and ball. It consistently has had good bounce and carry. The pitch for Sunday is shorn of any grass but it's unlikely to be an absolute belter.
TEAMS:
INDIA: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.
SOUTH AFRICA: Temba Bavuma (captain), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, David Miller, Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Quinton de Kock (wicket-keeper), Heinrich Klaasen, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi, Kagiso Rabada, Lizaad Williams.
Credit: PTI Photo