New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) As the fourth T20I of the five-match series between India and South Africa was called off without a ball being bowled due to excessive fog in Lucknow, pushing the series outcome to the final match, former India batter Robin Uthappa shared his thoughts on the series so far, saying that the visitors have been ‘a bit hot and cold’ in the T20Is.
Uthappa assessed South Africa’s showing on the tour, noting both their competitiveness and inconsistency in the T20I leg. Opining on the Proteas’ outings, Uthappa said on JioStar, “South Africa have played very competitively, but they’ve been a bit hot and cold in the T20I series. That said, it has still been very entertaining. I thought they bowled really well, while their batting has been a little inconsistent.”
“It’s going to be an interesting contest because they will want to level the series. Overall, they’ve had a great tour. They dominated the Test series and were competitive in the white-ball formats as well. India came back strongly, but South Africa will want to win the next one and head home with their heads held high,” he added.
India, meanwhile, have leaned on their overall consistency, particularly in pressure moments, to stay ahead in the series. Their depth in both batting and bowling has allowed them to respond strongly after setbacks, keeping them in a position of advantage heading into the decider.
Uthappa also spoke about the importance of managing Jasprit Bumrah’s workload, especially with major tournaments on the horizon, as he stated, “He is an absolute match-winner, and managing his workload is crucial. Fast bowling is probably the toughest skill in the sport, and Bumrah does it at high pace with a demanding action. You want to protect that, but at the same time, you want him to play enough cricket. We’ve seen glimpses of his brilliance, and hopefully he can build consistency over the next few games heading into the World Cup.”
With the fourth match abandoned, all eyes now turn to the final T20I, where South Africa will be eager to level the series, and India will look to seal it, setting the stage for a thrilling finish to an already compelling contest.
–IANS
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