Hitting back-to-back centuries, Sanju Samson's ability to capitalise on the ideal conditions that South Africa provided will continue to help India's need to bat long and big in the second T20I on Sunday, as South Africa aims to extend its superior run in the shortest format.
His remarkable107 off 50 balls powered India to a commanding 61-run victory in the series opener, but the lack of runs from other key batters remains a concern for the visitors.
India needs to address this issue to ensure that the burden doesn't fall too heavily on their in-form keeper-batter.
The team management would be worried by the continued failure of opener Abhishek Sharma, who has squandered multiple opportunities.
Apart from his memorable 47-ball century against Zimbabwe in Harare earlier this year, Sharma has struggled for runs, scoring 0, 10, 14, 16, 15, 4, and 7 in recent outings.
The dashing left-hander's lack of consistency at the top of the order could prompt India to rethink their options moving forward.
While the team management is unlikely to make changes to the playing XI, it will be disappointed with Sharma's continued failure, especially as India looks for a second-line opening option after Yashasvi Jaiswal following Rohit Sharma's eventual retirement from the format.
Tilak Varma's quick 33 off just 18 balls in the first match was promising but there is a need to get much better.
Varma last appeared against Afghanistan in January, and with competition for spots in the middle order heating up, the young batter will want to cement his place in the side.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav also got a start but fell shortly, while all-rounder Hardik Pandya was unable to live up to his potential in the opening match.
India's middle-order, which looked solid on paper, struggled to build partnerships as they lost six wickets for just 36 runs, slipping from a commanding 166/2 to 202/8 by the end of their 20 overs.
This collapse highlighted the fragility of India’s middle and lower order, something that they will aim to address before the second T20I.
In the bowling department, India was clinical as they restricted South Africa to just 141 in 17.5 overs in the opening match.
Varun Chakravarthy continued his excellent form from the Bangladesh series with a brilliant three-wicket haul, while Ravi Bishnoi was equally impressive, claiming 3/28.
The two spinners did well to contain South Africa’s powerful batting lineup on a relatively flat Durban pitch.
The pace duo of Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan also played their part. With the bowling attack firing on all cylinders, India will be confident of another strong performance in the second T20I, where they will aim to take a 2-0 lead in the series.
For South Africa, the loss was a hard blow, marking their second consecutive defeat to India after their loss in the T20 World Cup final in June.
With key players such as Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and Tabraiz Shamsi all missing from the squad, the Proteas are already struggling without some of their most experienced campaigners.
The absence of these senior players will make the second T20I an uphill battle for South Africa, particularly with their recent form.
Having lost 0-3 to the West Indies and drawn a series against Ireland, the Proteas will need improved performances from their senior players, including captain Aiden Markram, David Miller, and Heinrich Klaasen.
Teams (from): India: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (WK), Rinku Singh, Tilak Varma, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ramandeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Vijaykumar Vyshak, Avesh Khan, Yash Dayal.
South Africa: Aiden Markram (C), Ottneil Baartman, Gerald Coetzee, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Heinrich Klaasen, Patrick Kruger, Keshav Maharaj, David Miller, Mihlali Mpongwana, Nqaba Peter, Ryan Rickelton, Andile Simelane, Lutho Sipamla (3rd and 4th T20Is), Tristan Stubbs.
The match will start at 7:30 PM.
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