Ind vs SA - 2nd T20I - Pieces shuffle into place in India's batting jigsaw

Pieces shuffle into place in India's batting jigsaw

Kohli's sideways shuffle a sign of India's batters buying into their new approach

VLive Sports DeskSyndicated Wire Coverage (ESPNcricinfo / Sports Feeds)

Oct 3, 2022, 4:10 AM

Virat Kohli shapes up for a pullBCCI

Match at a Glance & Key Facts

TournamentSouth Africa in IndiaSeason 2022/23

Venue

Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati

Guwahati

Format & Details

T20 • SINGLE

India won by 16 runs

Player in Focus

Suryakumar Yadav

batter

Virat Kohli

top-order batter

KEY TAKEAWAYSQuick highlights & editorial summary

VLive Sports Desk

Editorial Angle:Analysis of Pieces shuffle into place in India's batting jigsaw: Kohli's sideways shuffle a sign of India's batters buying into their new approach — assessing tactical impact and tournament progression.
Score Snapshot:IND 237/3 vs SA 221/3 — India won by 16 runs
Performance Milestone:In an innings containing 25 fours and 13 sixes, this was perhaps not the most eye-catching boundary.
Tournament Context:Part of South Africa in India 2022/23. Follow real-time tournament standings, fixture progression, and live scorecards on VLive.

Rahul: 'When batting first, we always try to be aggressive and take a lot of risks'

"Just because we got 237 doesn't mean there is no room to improve for the batters"

In an innings containing 25 fours and 13 sixes, this was perhaps not the most eye-catching boundary. But it was significant in two ways.

One, it moved India's score past 190. This was the 10th time in 21 innings this year that India had ticked off that milestone while batting first in T20Is. Across 2020 and 2021, India had only reached 190 three times while batting first, in 16 attempts.

Scoring bigger totals more often has significantly improved India's record while batting first. Duh, you might say, but this transformation has come from a recognition that par is simply not enough, given the advantage chasing teams enjoy in T20 cricket. On Sunday, India made 237 for 3 - their fourth-highest T20I total - and South Africa still gave them a scare.