After exciting First Round matches in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, it’s finally time for the main showdown as Australia and South Africa kick-off the Super 12 round. Both teams are yet to win a World Cup in the game’s shortest format, and with a recently developed fierce rivalry between the two sides, the Super 12 opener is expected to set off with fireworks.
Australia
Australia are coming into this tournament with one of their worst phases in T20 cricket, losing eight of their last 10 T20I matches. After a narrow win against New Zealand in their first warm-up match, they suffered a hammering loss against India. The warm-up matches have left a lot of questions unanswered for them, with key players unable to find the desired form.
David Warner, who was dropped twice from his IPL team, failed to get going in the warm-up matches as well, scoring just a solitary run in the two matches. Although his struggles might be a worrying factor for the Aussies, Mitchell Marsh’s recent rich vein of form augurs well for them. With Marsh set to take the number three spot in the team, Steve Smith might bat down the order at number four. Adam Zampa, who has taken 13 wickets since the start of the year, will be Australia’s key bowler on slowish UAE surfaces.
South Africa
South Africa come into the T20 World Cup having beaten both Pakistan and Afghanistan in their warm-up matches and nine out of their last 10 T20 internationals. South Africa are filled with reliable stroke makers in their team and will rely heavily on Quinton de Kock, who has been their highest run-scorer since the start of the year with 455 runs in 10 innings with half-centuries in half of those innings.
In the bowling department, their pace bowlers are coming off a good IPL season, with Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje shouldering responsibilities of the pace attack. On spin-friendly pitches, the bulk of the wicket-taking responsibility will lie on Tabraiz Shamsi, who since the start of this year has taken 28 wickets at a miserly economy rate of 5.53 runs per over.
Although the two teams enter the Super 12 stage with mixed results, South Africa will be wary of Australia, who are known to dominate at the global stage. Abu Dhabi produced better pitches during the recently completed IPL, but with pitches undergoing wear and tear, run-scoring might not be as easy for the two teams who are used to pace-dominant conditions.
Probable Playing XI
Australia:
Aaron Finch (C), David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade (WK), Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Adam Zampa.
South Africa:
Temba Bavuma (C), Quinton de Kock (WK), Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, David Miller, Henrich Klaasen, Wian Mulder, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Anrich Nortje and Tabraiz Shamsi.