Can Indai take a giant step towards SF qualification tonight?
Tweet in your thoughts, ideas, frustrations and predictions (mostly predictions) to @PrakashG_CB. We’ll feature the best on this LIVE Blog
6 6 OUT!
Rohit had to gamble with Ashwin at some point at the death and he threw the ball to him for the 18th. Miller smashed two big sixes off the first two balls before the offie trapped Tristan Stubbs leg before. The wicket came too late perhaps as South Africa were left to chase 12 off 12.
Hardik Pandya breaks through!
Twist in the tale? Hardik Pandya has broken through here. Markram went after a big shot but can’t clear Suryakumar at deep square leg. He got the height on the big hit but not the distance and Suryakumar holds on to it. South Africa need 34 off 26 balls.
Markram puts South Africa on track
Exceptional batting from Markram. He’s found a new gear right after the drinks breaks and has put South Africa on course in chase. Along the way, he’s got a 38-ball half-century.
Dropped by Kohli!
Ashwin is dumbfounded, as is perhaps everyone in the stands. Virat Kohli has dropped a sitter at deep midwicket. Aiden Markram pulled one straight towards Kohli, who was in a comfortable position to take the catch. But the ball just popped out and he couldn’t pick it on the rebound either. The question is, has Kohli dropped the match? He might just have.
Halfway stage – South Africa 40/3
At the innings break, if you told the Indian players that South Africa would limp to 40 for 3 in chase after 10 overs, they’d take it gladly. This has been an exceptional bowling performance so far – one fine PP outdone by another one. Great display of fast bowling so far. Can Aiden Markram push SA back up in this chase. Interesting finish coming up.
Outstanding new ball bowling from both sides and two electric Powerplays to watch.
SA seamers bowling hard lengths relying on the pace and carry off the track with their natural speed while India’s pacers displaying their skill in moving the ball laterally.
#INDvSA
01:16 PM  Oct 10, 2022
Temba Bavuma departs!
He executed a scoop shot in just the previous over, and attempted it again against Mohammed Shami in the sixth. But this time he didn’t get completely under i and ended up edging it to the keeper.
What an over from Arshdeep!
Arshdeep got the ball to swing both ways to pick the two wickets
Two in the same over for Arshdeep!
The crowd is now deafening! The left-armer has trapped Rossouw leg before with a full ball taht swung in late. There was a big appeal but the umpire shook his head. It looked like Arshdeep was suggesting that the ball would probably swing away beyond the leg stump but India reviewed that and got the decision overturned.
“That was totally DK and Rohit’s call. Arshdeep was walking back to his mark and was surprised when he learnt it was reviewed,” pings Kaushik from Perth about the review. Excellent call!
Early wicket for India!
Arshdeep Singh has got the Perth crowd going! The in-form Quinton de Kock has nicked to KL Rahul at first slip.
India finish on 133 for 9
South Africa’s pacers have had such an exceptional outing here. India had no clue on how to deal with them early on and they’ve only gone to this because Suryakumar Yadav did what Suryakumar Yadav does – even on a surface and situation like this. Over to India’s bowlers now to try and replicate their South African counterparts and make a match of this.
True story…
No batter in the world makes me go “how on earth has he done that” more often than Suryakumar Yadav
12:09 PM  Oct 10, 2022
This is absolutely ridiculous. #SKY
12:25 PM  Oct 10, 2022
Dinesh Karthik falls!
He’s been patient since he arrived and let Suryakumar deal with the boundary hitting. But the first big shot he attempts is a miscue and Parnell gets his first wicket of the night. R Ashwin comes in. It’s a good game for him to show his batting value at #8.
SKY being SKY!
Openers fail? no problem. Top-order collapses? no worry. Suryakumar Yadav is here to entertain like always. He’s attempted and executed some incredibly audacious hits, like he always does. But it is a classical straight drive that gets him his fifty, off just 30 balls.
Karthik rebuilding the innings like a normal batter does when 5 down before the 10th. SKY rebuilding like only he can. Incredible player.
12:14 PM  Oct 10, 2022
Halfway through, South Africa at the wheel
India have limped to 60 for 5. The South Africa pacers have been nearly unplayable with pace and bounce making them feel at home here. India’s top-order has been completely dismantled, with Suryakumar Yadav the only one standing tall. India need a big second half to give their bowlers something to defend.
Ngidi has a fourth!
Now Hardik Pandya is gone. He’s gone for a pull and didn’t control it. He hit it towards fine leg where Rabada took a few steps forward and dived in the front and completed a low catch. India are 49 for FIVE!
Four down!
Deepak Hooda is gone! Anrich Nortje has been spitting fire. He cranked up the pace to over 150kmph. On the third ball that Hooda faced, he plonked his bat outside his offstump on a good length ball without really moving his feet and nicked it to the keeper.
Look away India fans…
Virat Kohli is gone! He’s pulled a ball from Ngidi to fine leg where Rabada completes a catch and silences the Perth crowd. India are down to 41 for 3. What an exceptional start from South Africa here on a pitch that will remind them of Jo’burg.
There’s a problem there?
KL Rahul in Powerplay in T20Is last two years
27 inngs
Avg 24.50
SR 114
Take out of the 50(19) vs Scotland last WC, the SR falls to 105.
#INDvSA
11:34 AM  Oct 10, 2022
KL Rahul falls early again…
Ngidi has struck in the same over. That was a good length ball just outside the offstump and the opener pushed at it, only to nick it to Markram at first slip.
Lungi Ngidi removes Rohit…
…with a hard length delivery that Rohit can’t pull away with control. That ballooned up and Ngidi managed to complete the catch himself. Top start for South Africa.
Don’t bowl there to Rohit, Kagiso..
The South Africa stalwart got a bit carried away and went really short to the India captain, who swats such deliveries away in semi-consciousness. He did it again, deposited over fine leg fence. To be fair to Kagiso, he didn’t give another run in the over.
Wayne Parell on the money…
A start with a lot of ‘oohs’ here at the Perth as Wayne Parnell beats KL Rahul’s outside edge a few times. Rahul’s probably being a little extra circumspect to ride out the early phase. Going to be interesting to see how this top-order deal with South Africa’s pace battery.
Will he, won’t he?
Hoping for some KL fireworks tonight @cricbuzz @PrakashG_CB #INDvsSA
10:52 AM  Oct 10, 2022
A match-up to watch early on…
Can Rohit Sharma up his SR against Rabada today?
Thoughts on team selections…
–Interesting from India, to drop their only left-hander in the line-up. Deepak Hooda as a sixth bowling option could be tricky too but he’ll match up well against a left-hand dominated top-order.
– Ngidi coming back was a no-brainer at a venue where bounce is the currency.
TOSS: India opt to bat; Deepak Hooda in for Axar Patel. South Africa bring back Lungi Ngidi in place of Tabraiz Shamsi.
Prelude – Another Sunday blockbuster coming up?
It’s hard to believe the India vs Pakistan clash enthralled us just a week ago. That game had it all – expectation, drama, anticipation, late twists and Virat Kohli playing protagonist. Early suggestions were this tournament couldn’t possibly top that throbbing frenzy in the cauldron that was the MCG with 90,000 fans bouncing – most in joy, some in sheer despair. But, hold my coffee, says the World Cup in response. It’s been a sensational tournament where Zimbabwe have stunned Pakistan, Ireland have edged past England amid rain and Bangladesh have clipped Zimbabwe’s wings just today. If rain hadn’t ruined a few games, perhaps, those would’ve turned into thrillers too, who knows?
So we now come to this Sunday then, where India take on South Africa. Why will this be a blockbuster, you ask? Well, India edged Pakistan and then thoroughly galloped past Netherlands to signal their intent in the tournament. South Africa meanwhile, had an unfortunate no-result against Zimbabwe just when they were at the cusp of victory in a rain-hit fixture but they too stamped their authority in the 104-run victory over Bangladesh.
These are two teams who walked into the tournament as favourites, and by end of Sunday, would’ve enhanced that reputation of theirs. Our man Kaushik writes how there’s a different set of optics waiting in this fixture, in his match preview.