India Women vs South Africa Women, 2019: 1st T20I: Dream11 Fantasy Cricket Tips – Playing XI, Pitch Report & Injury Update

Match Details:

The 1st game of the T20I series between India Women and South Africa Women will be hosted by Lalabhai Contractor Stadium in Surat

The match starts at 7:00 PM local time (IST) (1:30 PM GMT). This game will be live on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports 1 HD. Live Streaming available on Hotstar

Preview:

A new season kicks off for the Indian Women as they host the South African Women in the first T20I on Tuesday. Both teams are in a period of transition with youngsters such as Shafali Varma and Tazmin Brits being given an opportunity to stake a claim for a place in the playing XI.

The Indians play their first T20I game since their disappointing series loss against England earlier in the year and will fancy their chances as well with Dane van Niekerk unavailable for the Proteas. Nevertheless, South Africa should prove to be a tough nut to crack with Lizelle Lee and Sune Luus in good touch as seen in the practice match earlier.

Weather Condition/Report:

There isn’t any threat of rain for this game with cloudy conditions set to engulf the stadium. A cloud cover of 96% and humidity of 77%, as per AccuWeather, is expected with dew also in the forecast to come into play as the game progresses.

Pitch Condition/Report:

The pitch in Surat has generally favored the spinners although the batters should find strokeplay easy here. There will be some swing on offer for the new ball bowlers while the spinners hold the key in the middle overs at the Lalabhai Contractor Stadium in Surat.

Average score: 152 (Matches in Syed Mushtaq Ali 2018-19)

Head to Head Record: India Women – 4, South Africa Women – 1,

Injury and Availability News:

(Will be added when there is an update)

Probable Playing XIs:

India Women:

Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harleen Deol, Harmanpreet Kaur (c), Veda Krishnamurthy, Deepti Sharma, Taniya Bhatia (wk), Shikha Pandey, Poonam Yadav and Radha Yadav, Arundhati Reddy

Bench: Shafali Verma, Anuja Patil, Pooja Vastrakar and Mansi Joshi

South Africa Women:

Lizelle Lee (wk), Tazmin Brits, Laura Wolvaardt, Sune Luus (c), Mignon du Preez, Nadine de Klerk, Lara Goodall, Nondumiso Shangase, Anne Bosch, Ayabonga Khaka and Shabnim Ismail

Bench: Sinalo Jafta, Nonkululeko Mlaba and Tumi Sekhukhune

Top Picks:

Smriti Mandhana is one of the world’s best batters in the Women’s circuit with an average of 24.96 in the T20I format. Although it doesn’t make for good reading, she is India’s best bet at the top of the order with her experience playing in the WBBL and KSL bound to come in handy.

In the absence of Dane van Niekerk, there is added responsibility on Sune Luus. With a similar skill-set, Sune Luus’ leg-spin and ability to finish games with the bat will be key for the Proteas on a surface that should suit her nicely.

Lizelle Lee is in decent form as she kickstarted her tour with a brisk 65 in the practice game. Given her recent record in the KSL as well where she maintained a strike rate of 147.51, Lee’s experience should serve the South Africans nicely.

Captain and Vice-Captain Selection:

Captain – Smriti Mandhana, Sune Luus, Lizelle Lee

Vice-Captain – Jemimah Rodrigues, Poonam Yadav, and Mignon du Preez

Smriti Mandhana averages 42 this year in T20Is with her record in India being exemplary, which gives her the nod over South African captain, Sune Luus.

Suggested Playing XI for Head to Head/Small Leagues:

Keeper – Lizelle Lee

Batters – Smriti Mandhana (C), Jemimah Rodrigues, Mignon du Preez

All-Rounders – Sune Luus (VC), Nadine de Klerk, Deepti Sharma

Bowlers – Nondumiso Shangase, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav and Shabnim Ismail

Suggested Playing XI for Grand Leagues/Mega Leagues:

Keeper – Lizelle Lee

Batters – Veda Krishnamurthy, Smriti Mandhana (C), Laura Wolvaardt, Mignon du Preez

All-Rounders – Sune Luus, Deepti Sharma

Bowlers – Poonam Yadav (VC), Shabnim Ismail, Ayabonga Khaka and Radha Yadav

Expert Advice:

Spinners have enjoyed success at this venue, making them viable options. Poonam Yadav is one spinner who has enjoyed the considerable success which is why she is preferred alongside Deepti Sharma and Sune Luus.

The powerplay overs are going to be crucial for either side with strokeplay easier against the new and hardball. Openers and top-order batters will hold the key in setting up a platform with the field restrictions also playing into their hands.

Probable Winners:

India has the edge over the South Africans in this format and should come out trumps in the first T20I in Surat.

*Disclaimer: This team is based on the understanding, analysis and instinct of the author. While selecting your team, consider the points mentioned and make your own decision.