The series got off to a rousing start in Delhi, with India recording their biggest T20I score against South Africa, who responded with their most successful chase.

Given that India is missing even more players than they had intended when KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav were both knocked out on the night of the first match, the consequence may not seem as devastating, and there is plenty of time to make up for it.

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India can’t expect much more from their batters, but they might want to think about how to utilise Hardik Pandya and Dinesh Karthik in the middle order, as well as when to release their IPL bowling discoveries on a South African line-up that has quietly made a practise of winning from difficult positions.

South Africa has earned a reputation for leaning less on luck (or lack thereof) and more on their ability at the death, dating back to last year’s T20 World Cup. Their veteran batters are emerging into their own, but there are still issues about the team’s composition that they will want to be answered. On this tour, their all-around alternatives are both seam bowlers, which leaves more room for expert spinners. This combination is able to evolve as the series proceeds, but not until the contest’s direction is evident.

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South Africa leads 1-0, but they were tested in the first encounter. How far can they go?

While India’s bowlers were slaughtered in every corner of the Arun Jaitley ground on Thursday night, Harshal Patel appeared to be the most likely to reclaim some dominance. He blasted pinch-hitter Dwaine Pretorius with a pin-point slower-ball yorker in a one-run powerplay over but was only summoned back beyond the halfway point. Rassie van der Dussen pounced on his third over for 22 runs but commended Harshal’s slower ball, which he described as “very tough” to smash.

Despite van der Dussen’s blitz, Harshal stunned him with an off-cutter that dropped beneath the bat. Taking pace off the ball may be the best way to test a line-up that enjoys the ball coming off the bat, and Harshal will play an important part as the series progresses.

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It’s impossible to be too critical of South Africa’s batting after the first game, but Temba Bavuma‘s efforts may come into question shortly, especially with so many top-order options in the squad. Bavuma has just played 22 T20Is, 14 of them as captain, but his strike rate is noteworthy.

Overall, it’s 123.13, which ranks third among South Africans with more than 500 runs in the format. It has dropped to 114.91 since assuming leadership. Given that he normally has Quinton de Kock at the other end, who can play a calming role, it may not be a big deal, but if South Africa needs more explosive beginnings, it may become a more noteworthy discussion.

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We may have to wait out a bit longer to witness Umran Malik or Arshdeep Singh, as India is expected to have an identical lineup.

Aiden Markram, who missed the first game after testing positive for Covid-19, has stayed in Delhi and will be quarantined for seven days beginning June 8, ruling him out of the first three games. South Africa was unaffected by this, and following their triumph in the first match, they may not wish to change their lineup. If the conditions are favourable for seamers, they may contemplate benching Keshav Maharaj in preference of one of Lungi Ngidi or Marco Jansen.