India, South Africa embrace discomfort in World Cup lead-up

Only two games down, the two teams - India and South Africa - would probably be breathing easy even if slightly unsettled. The games, among the last few before next year's T20 world cup, have offered just enough of a reality check for both to contend with, while also simultaneously consoling them of their respective prowess as among the strongest contenders for the world title.

A win and a loss each, the series has left them in just the adequate discomfort they would like in their preparation for the mega tournament.

The hosts have made some obvious experiments - Axar Patel's promotion in batting order, some opportunities for Jitesh Sharma at No. 7 and 8, and Hardik Pandya bowling in the middle overs with two frontline pacers taking the majority load in the powerplay and the death, being the chief among them.

These experiments have come with mixed results so far; ideally, not enough to prompt any drastic changes. But given that it has come as an alteration to an otherwise fairly successful arrangement, it would require an audacious call to persist with it for too long, given the limited preparation time at hand. The concerning lean patch of the captain and the vice-captain only adds to the urgency of cementing plans.

Will Sanju Samson back to the XI? If yes, would he be trialled out in the opener's role again?

Will they want to fall back on the three-spinner strategy at the expense of Arshdeep Singh?

The surface in Dharamsala, the venue of the third T20I, may not warrant the latter, but India have banked on their strength in more unfriendlier conditions for spinners over the past year and a half.

But the hosts won't be the only one sweating over their combinations and plans in the chilly climes of north India. The victory in Chandigarh, and Quinton de Kock's return to T20I form, may have offered South Africa the much needed validation of their T20 powers, but they are also far from a settled lot. Their batting lacks the muscle lower down the order, and as a result, their best combination is yet to be trialled and tested. Their best pace attack still remains uncertain.

The answers are unlikely to come too soon for either team, but they would hope - much like Cuttack and Chandigarh - to find the right questions in Dharamsala to sharpen their final resolution.

When: Sunday, December 14, 2025, 7:00 PM IST

Where: India vs South Africa, 3rd T20I, HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala

What to expect: The venue hasn't hosted a men's international fixture in over two years (when New Zealand nearly threatened to chase down Australia's 388). The last T20I was played as long back as February 2022. In IPL, teams have consistently breached the 180-run mark.

Team News

India: With experiments carrying on, India may want to give some game time to those who have warmed the bench over the last couple of games. The quick turnaround time between games should be more of an incentive for that.

Probable XI: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah

South Africa: Tristan Stubbs, who sat out the last game, could return to the side.

Probable XI: Quinton de Kock, Aiden Markram, Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, George Linde, Marco Jansen, Anrich Nortje/Corbin Bosch, Ottneil Baartman, Lungi Ngidi

Did you know?

- Since the last T20I in 2022, Dharamsala has hosted 5 IPL games, in which four matches have been won by the side batting first.

- Suryakumar Yadav has eight single-digit scores this year in T20Is. Next in the Indian list is Shubman Gill with five.

- Hardik Pandya needs one to complete 100 T20I wickets; Varun Chakaravarthy needs is one away from 50.

- Dewald Brevis needs four away from reaching the 100 sixes milestone in T20s in 2025. He will become the second South African (after Heinrich Klaasen in 2024), and overall fifth player to hit 100-plus sixes in T20s in a year.

What they said:

"Towards the back end of the Australian tour, there were talks about freeing up a little bit, trying to not make the responsibility feel like that it is all about you, and relinquish such thoughts. We want him to play as freely as he does during the IPL" - Ryan ten Doeschate, India's assistant coach, on Shubman Gill

"It's (selection) never easy. As a player, you want three or four games on the run to build momentum. But it also has to do with how busy our summer looks now, building up towards the World Cup with SA20 and the series. Making sure we have our best available XI for the World Cup is obviously the number one priority" - Aiden Markram, South Africa's captain, on player rotation