Cricket News: South Africa's preparation for T20 World Cup

While there were many positives for England, South Africa has significant concerns to address for the World Cup to come. 

Struggling batting unit

The Proteas have one of the best bowling line-ups in the world, be it pacers or spinners. But in the matches where batters fail to stand and build a defendable total, even their quicks fail to save a game for them. 

South Africa could manage only one fifty-plus individual score, and that too in the series opener when Sarel Erwee scored 73 to help Proteas win the first test match. In the other two games, the team never looked settled on the crease, 

Skipper Dean Elgar, too, admitted their faulty batting line-up, "First innings runs is so big here in the UK, we failed in that department. You need runs on the board. Tough decision for us to make (following Rassie's injury), didn't work this game."

"It was a massive learning curve for a lot of us, there are a lot of young guys in our batting line-up. In a sense that is positive but it is still disappointing to not get the results in our favour," he added. 

The other blunder South Africa committed was dropping Marco Jansen for the second test and going for pre-ordained tactics of two spinners, despite Marco Jansen giving English batters a challenging time in 1st test at Lords. 

Biggest concern coming up for Proteas looking at T20 World Cup

Everyone saw the batting unit collapse, but that will not affect South Africa's preparation for the upcoming World Cup, as the top-order is very different for both formats. Their batting line-up looks vital for the shortest format and has proved themselves by winning three-match T20I series against England in England. 

What can raise concerns for the team after England drubbed them is the performance of their critical pacers like Anrich Nortje and Kagiso Rabada. They are their leading pacers across all the formats, and their economy rate of above 5 in test matches is a matter of concern. 

Australian soil has been known to be the land ruled by seamers, and just one month before the mega-event, Proteas' main bowlers struggling to control the flow of runs is not a good sign for them. 

Key players for the Indian series

David Miller- South Africa's middle-order batter David Miller, enjoyed a dream run with the new IPL franchise Gujarat Titans, unveiling his powerful finisher. In the T20I series played after IPL in India, he played a significant role in helping the team draw the series. His consistency forced skipper Temba Bavuma to use him higher up the order to accelerate the innings score. Therefore, he will be a player to watch out for once again against India.

Tristan Stubbs- The new addition to the World Cup squad surprised the cricketing world. The 21-year-old can be a big hitter who can help South Africa ace the shortest format. Having played 6 T20Is, he averages 39.66 with a strike rate of 216.36, which highlights his power-hitting capabilities. What he can offer to his team against a team like India will be a thing to look for.

Rilee Rossouw: An elegant top-order batter with authoritative drive has proved to be an impactful player for South Africa in white ball format. In 17 innings, he has accumulated 458 runs with an average strike rate of 35.23 and 145.85, respectively. Four hundred fifty-eight runs formed from 46 fours and 17 sixes prove how much he loves dealing in big shots. If included in the playing XI, this will be his first match against India and thus a player to watch against India's bowling attack.