South Africa vs India Match Prediction: Who Will Win Today Cricket Match Prediction | CWC 2019

South Africa vs India Match Prediction: The Sportsrush present before you Match Prediction of 2019 World Cup Match 8 between SA and IND.

The wait for India to make an advent into the quadrennial event has been a long one, but Wednesday sees the side finally get their campaign underway. The side will be taking on South Africa at the Rose Bowl, Southampton as the country become the last side to play an encounter in the 2019 edition of the expansive tournament.

Heading into the encounter, India will be quietly confident of their chances against a South African unit who have massively failed to impress till now. Obliterated by both England and Bangladesh, they are languishing in the depths of the ranks with two defeats that have seen them come under massive flak.

And against a side who are suffering such massive aberrations, falling apart like a house of cards, a side of India’s calibre is expected to run havoc and put them down easily. However, in the magnitude of a tournament like the CWC, taking anything for granted is perhaps the biggest ever mistake.

South Africa vs India – What numbers suggest?

This clash has traversed through the 83 matches with South Africa holding the advantage over India. They’ve come out on top 46 times as opposed to India’s 34 wins while the three matches have been abandoned owing to harsh weather condition.

Recently though, India have turned this encounter on its head with a demolishing 5-1 ODI series win in South Africa leaving the home side rattled.

South Africa vs India – Key Battles

Kagiso Rabada vs Virat Kohli

Kagiso Rabada has already sparked the flames of this battle, long before the two sides actually meet on the field. Speaking in reference to Kohli, the pacer called him an “immature person”, someone who can’t handle being answered back to.

Overall, Kohli has always loved facing-off against Rabada in ODIs. He’s been dismissed just twice in the 11 matches he’s played against Rabada, both instances where he ended up knocking the ball straight back into the pacer’s hands.

The recently concluded IPL was a different proposition though with Rabada getting the better of Kohli by targeting him near his helmet with the incoming delivery. It’s probably Kohli’s biggest weakness and if Rabada can keep peppering him with much of the same, Kohli could be worked on early into his innings.

Quinton de Kock vs Jasprit Bumrah

Having played for the same IPL franchise a month ago, the two Mumbai Indians players however will share no love when their countries face off-against each other tomorrow. Both the players are the mainstays of their sides, pivotal figures who need to take centrestage.

The onus on de Kock’s shoulders to come up with the runs yet again is massive. He’s emerged as the only figure willing to wage a battle while wickets have tumbled all around him. In India, the southpaw has an opposition against whom he has scored an impressive 774 runs in 12 matches at an average of 64.5 and a strike rate of 92.14 including five centuries.

The surface we are expected to see rolled out for this match should be a green one, one where Bumrah will love to extract the fair share of purchase he’ll be doled out. He will need to make the ball swing to his tunes and pitch the delivery outside the off-stump before eventually getting it to shape into Quinton, a delivery which the opener find a tough ask getting under.

South Africa vs India – Match Prediction

While writing off South Africa would be the most stupid proposition, their opening two matches don’t do any favour to their chances in this match. Be it on the batting or bowling front, the side has failed to show any kind of resolve, exposing the glaring weaknesses in their unit on way too many occasions.

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India are coming into this match not only well rested but eager to get going this World Cup and stamp their authority on the grandest stage of them all. Training at the Ageas Bowl for the past week, the side is well-aware about the prevalent conditions.

Given both these factors, India should come out of this encounter with a win. Despite Dale Steyn expected to come back into the encounter and bolster South Africa’s pace battery, India have just too power packed a batting line-up which along with their stupendous pacers should be able to see past South Africa easily.