ICC World T20 2016: South Africa vs England - 5 key battles

CaptionTwo teams, that have seen enough of each other over the past three months, England and South Africa, would be face-to-face once again in a Group A match of the ICC World T20 set to take place at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on March 18.Also read: South Africa vs England, T20 World Cup 2016: Where to watch live, LIVE Score Updates/ Scorecard, Ball by Ball Commentary and moreWhile this will be South Africa’s first game of the World T20, England would be playing their second, after being blown away by Chris Gayle in their first game against West Indies on March 16 at the same venue.There would be no respite for the English players, however, as they would be facing a stern challenge from a side that has some T20 specialists in AB de Villiers, Faf du Plessis, and David Miller.South Africa also have genuine all-rounders in David Wiese and Chris Morris who are capable of doing the damage, both with the bat, as well as, with the ball.England, on the other hand, didn’t bat badly in their last game, to be honest. It was just that they couldn’t get Gayle’s wicket upfront, and gave away too many extras in terms of wides.Joe Root top scored with 49, while Jos Buttler, Eoin Morgan, Alex Hales, and Ben Stokes played short cameos.Their bowling gave them away in the end, as neither the pacers- in David Willey, Reece Topley, and Chris Jordan- nor the spinners- in Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali- could withstand the onslaught by the West Indian batsmen, in particular, Gayle.As far as the next match is concerned, here we have a look at 5 key battles that might define the course of the all-important league game.

#1 Dale Steyn vs Joe Root

Dale Steyn has been troubled by injuries for the better part of the last 4 months

The match-defining battle for any cricket match generally takes place between one side’s prime batsman and the other’s prime bowler. In this case, those men are Joe Root, arguably England’s best batsman across formats, and the South African seasoned veteran Dale Steyn.

Root, who is more than capable of effectively tackling both pace and spin was one of the bright stars for England in their opening match against West Indies with his knock of 49.

Steyn, on the other hand, has been raring to go, after a prolonged tryst with injuries that kept out of action for a period greater than four months. Steyn missed 3 of the 4 Tests against India and England, as well as the limited-overs series against England.

He returned to action in the 3-match T20I series against Australia at home, which the hosts lost 1-2. With much to prove and to get back into the groove of fast bowling once again, in what seems to be the twilight of his career, Steyn would look to come out all guns blazing against England’s best batsman.

#2 Jos Buttler vs Imran Tahir

Tahir's leg-breaks might trouble the visiting European batsmen

Jos Buttler’s form in limited-overs cricket of late has been nothing short of breathtaking. His big-hitting prowess has already been witnessed by all, and in the game against West Indies, he was nipped in the bud before he could fully flourish.

Buttler would look to set things right in this game, especially if he is once again promoted to No. 4 as he was in the last game.

However, as good as the Englishman has been against pace, against the turning ball, he hasn’t been as good. It is in this regard that the Proteas leg-spinner Imran Tahir comes into the picture.

Regarded as a good limited-overs bowler, Tahir bowls more wrong ones than the conventional leg-breaks, and the ball turning away from the right-hander may create problems for Buttler.

Although the pitch at the Wankhede has traditionally been batting friendly, in a T20I game, it is the pressure built that leads to a wicket often, more than the conditions or the bowling.

#3 Eoin Morgan vs Kagiso Rabada

Morgan would look to play a big innings for his side

The 20-year-old Kagiso Rabada has been a revelation for South Africa since the day he made his debut against Bangladesh last year.

The young fast bowler has been consistently picking up wickets in all three formats since then, and has a decent amount of experience of the Indian conditions as well, as he participated in then South African tour to India last year.

Rabada has, so far, picked up 17 wickets from 13 T20I, and would be wishing to start his second stint in India on a positive note.

The English captain Eoin Morgan, similarly, has led his side through an era of resurgence, as far as the limited-overs cricket is concerned, especially after the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup and has become a mainstay of the English batting line-up.

Rabada, with his pace and the natural angle away from the left-handed Morgan, can pose a problem to the English captain early in the innings, when there is expected to be some movement off the surface, as David Willey had got in the previous game.

#4 AB de Villiers vs Adil Rashid

De Villiers’ last two scores at the Wankhede stadium read 133* (59) and 119 (61)

AB de Villiers’ last two innings at the Wankhede have yielded him more than a 100 runs each time, and he would look to build upon that form against England as well.

A man who is capable of playing shots anywhere around the ground, and is equally good while tackling pace as well as spin is hard to contain, but England’s only chance against him seems to by taking the pace off the ball.

As was evident in the last game at the venue between England and West Indies, slower deliveries were considerably harder to it and the turning ball was creating a bit of a[problme for the batsmen.

It is here that Adil Rashid, the English leg-spinner, can come into the picture, who with his conventional leg-breaks as well as the variations would look to contain the South African batsmen, and in particular, De Villiers.

#5 David Miller vs Moeen Ali

England would look to restrict David Miller through spin bowling

Another destructive batsman that South Africa have in their midst, and who knows a thing or two about the Indian conditions is David Miller and if he gets going on the flat deck that the Wankhede is, no target would seem too big.

With plenty of IPL experience in his kitty, Miller would pose a big threat to the English bowling, especially towards the death, as he comes out to bat generally at No. 5 or 6.

To restrict him, England would surely look towards the slower bowlers as Miller relishes the ball coming onto the bat. Moeen Ali, the off-spinner in the English line-up might be the right weapon to use against Miller.

With the ball turning away from him, Miller would have to hit against the turn, if he targets his favourite areas on the leg side, which in turn provides the spinner with an opportunity to dismiss him.

It would be an interesting battle to watch as both the players have a strong chance of facing each other in the upcoming contest.