3 things to look forward to in the 3rd India vs South Africa T20I ft. Shubman Gill vs Sanju Samson

India and South Africa will battle it out in the third T20I of the five-match series on Sunday, December 14. The encounter will be contested at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.

The series has been an interesting one so far, with both teams having one solid victory each to their name. As India and South Africa look to finetune their preparations for the T20 World Cup, they will dish out a high standard of cricket. Another enticing contest beckons.

India’s T20I squad for the South Africa series: Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Sanju Samson (wk), Washington Sundar, Hardik Pandya.

South Africa's T20I squad for the India series: Aiden Markram (captain), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Dewald Brevis, Quinton de Kock (wk), Lutho Sipamla, Donovan Ferreira, Reeza Hendricks, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, George Linde, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Tristan Stubbs.

On that note, here are three things to look forward to in the third T20I between India and South Africa.

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#3 Can India's bowlers stand up to the test in Dharamsala?

Cricket: Australia v India - 2nd T20I - Source: Getty

India's bowlers were put under the pump in the previous game in Mullanpur. Varun Chakaravarthy was the only frontline bowler to excel as Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh were taken for a few runs.

In Dharamsala, where the high altitude and true nature of the surface have made run-scoring relatively easy, India's bowlers will have a big task on their hands. The Men in Blue will need to be at their absolute best if they are prevent the likes of Quinton de Kock and Dewald Brevis from scoring big.

How the bowling fares will be a key aspect to watch out for, especially in the aftemath of the previous T20I.

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#2 Will India replace Shubman Gill at the top of the order?

India Cricket - Source: Getty

Shubman Gill hasn't done enough at the top of the order, and India will certainly be weighing up their options. Fans and experts are calling for the inclusion of Sanju Samson, who fared better as an opener earlier this year.

Will India replace Gill with Samson? It'll be a bold call, but with three matches left in the series, which is the last one before the announcement of the T20 World Cup squad, it's perhaps the right time. The Indian vice-captain has been underwhelming for a while now, and few complaints can be raised if the think tank decide to bring Samson back.

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#1 What will India's batting order look like?

Australia v India - T20 Series: Game 4 - Source: Getty

In the previous game, Axar Patel was used at No. 3. When asked about it, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate claimed that it was to lengthen the batting. While that statement doesn't make much sense, India have earned a reputation for adopting unconventional strategies.

In the third T20I, what will India's batting order look like? Tilak Varma stuck the ball well in Mullanpur, and a return to his most favored spot in the shortest format could work well for both him as well as Suryakumar Yadav, who has been out of touch. Axar is best used through the middle overs, where he can take on spin.

It'll be interesting to see if India have learned from their mistakes.

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Edited by Sai Krishna