South Africa and the West Indies head to “The Bullring” for the final installment of their three-match T20I series. With South Africa already holding an unassailable 2-0 lead after a record-breaking chase at Centurion, the West Indies find themselves playing for pride in a series that has been a masterclass in modern power-hitting.
The Proteas have looked like a well-oiled machine in this series. In the second T20I, they chased down a mammoth target of 222 in just 17.3 overs, spearheaded by a blistering century from Quinton de Kock. The South African top order—featuring de Kock, Aiden Markram, and young Lhuan-dre Pretorius—has been in imperious form, making light work of the Caribbean bowling attack.
For the West Indies, the story has been one of ‘plenty of runs, not enough wickets.’ Despite posting 221 in the previous game thanks to Shimron Hetmyer‘s 75 and Sherfane Rutherford’s explosive 57, their bowlers have struggled to contain the Proteas. This final match is a critical opportunity for the Windies to test their death-bowling depth before the upcoming T20 World Cup cycles, while South Africa may use the chance to rotate their squad and give more game time to fringe players like Dewald Brevis or Kwena Maphaka.
SA vs WI, 3rd T20I: Match Details
- Date and Time: January 31; 9:30 pm IST / 4:00 pm GMT / 6:00 pm local
- Venue: The Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
SA vs WI Head-to-Head Record in T20Is
Matches played: 28 | West Indies won: 14 | South Africa won: 14 | No result: 0
The Wanderers Stadium Pitch Report
The Wanderers is known as a great ground for batters. The pitch has good bounce, and the outfield is very fast, which helps the ball race to the boundary. Because the stadium is almost 1,750 meters above sea level, the air is thin, so the ball travels further. This means fans can expect lots of sixes. The average first-innings score is around 177, but teams often need 200 or more runs to feel safe.
The ground, also called the ‘Bullring,’ gives good bounce and carry, which helps fast bowlers. In fact, pacers take about two-thirds of the wickets here. However, if a bowler bowls short or wide, batters usually punish it with boundaries. In the past, chasing has slightly suited teams because the pitch stays good under lights and the outfield remains quick. Still, the numbers are very close, with almost equal wins for teams batting first and second. Because of this, the captain winning the toss will mainly decide based on the weather and overhead conditions.
Squads
South Africa: Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Aiden Markram (c), Ryan Rickelton (wk), Dewald Brevis, Rubin Hermann, Jason Smith, George Linde, Corbin Bosch, Kagiso Rabada, Keshav Maharaj, Kwena Maphaka, Quinton de Kock, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Eathan Bosch, Marco Jansen, Tristan Stubbs
West Indies: Brandon King, Johnson Charles (wk), Matthew Forde, Sherfane Rutherford, Roston Chase, Shimron Hetmyer, Rovman Powell, Jason Holder, Romario Shepherd, Akeal Hosein, Jayden Seales, Shamar Joseph, Quentin Sampson, Shai Hope (c), Gudakesh Motie
SA vs WI, 3rd T20I: Today’s Match Prediction
Case 1:
- South Africa wins the toss and bowls first
- West Indies powerplay score: 40-45
- West Indies total score: 150-160
Case 2:
- West Indies wins the toss and bowls first
- South Africa powerplay score: 50-60
- South Africa total score: 170-180
Match result: Team bowling first to win the contest.
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