T20 World Cup: A triple treat for fans on Sunday

Forecast for Sunday, in Brisbane and Perth where matches are to be played, is bright and sunny, promising a triple treat for cricket fans.

Currently best placed in the group, India have the toughest match, against South Africa. Pakistan, who play Netherlands, have the easiest engagement. But after two successive defeats, they may well be in disarray, so who knows. Bangladesh against Zimbabwe is a battle of equals.

Match 1

A hard-fought win over Netherlands apart, Bangladesh have been listless. Top order batting has been terribly inconsistent, bowling has been patchy. Shakib Al Hasan has yet to make a match-winning impact. After the stunning upset over Pakistan, Zimbabwe will be an inspired lot. A win would put them in the running for a place in the semis. What more incentive!

Match 2

Two last-ball defeats have left Pakistan with one foot out of the exit door, the other on a banana peel. Flawed selections, ill-planned tactics in batting and bowling, misplaced bravado and fragile temperament — compounded by the failure of star players Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan and Shaheen Shah Afridi to deliver — has led to their current misery. A win would keep their hopes of a place in the knockouts alive, albeit subject to how other matches pan out. Another defeat would almost certainly make Pakistan’s further participation in the tournament merely academic.

Match 3

India are sitting pretty at the top of this group, but there is no scope for overconfidence. South Africa have jelled extremely well in recent weeks and could be a stumbling block in the pursuit of a place in the semis.

South African captain Temba Bavuma is the only weak link in the top order which boasts dashing, powerful and in-form stroke players Rilee Rossouw, Quinton de Kock and David Miller. The bowling attack has wicket-takers in pace and spin, and as always, the Proteas are a brilliant fielding unit.

The margin for error against such an opponent is virtually nil. India’s players will have to play to full potential, and also keep their wits about them, often the difference between winning and losing close matches in this format.

KL Rahul’s poor form has been offset so far by the excellent batting of Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, and in the last match, skipper Rohit Sharma. This is the opportunity for Rahul to find form and ensure his place for the second half of the tournament is not in doubt.

MATCHES:

Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, R Ashwin, Rilee Rossouw, Anrich Nortje