Teams prepare for international series with first class matches. India is preparing for their most important tour itineray in annual calendar, the Indian Premier League, by playing an international T20 match. The data shows the seriousness of IPL preparation. Among the money and devoiding team of much required rest, BCCI is dedicating 20 hours of travel just 4 days ahead of IPL to play South Africa in a 4 hours T20 international at Johannesburg.
Indian T20 Record
South African T20 Record
150 years of completion of Indian achievements in South Africa led to the origin of the match. The charity will benefit the cause of unsung greatest cricketer of all-times Jacques Kallis. While none appears too interested in the result or origin of this match, the cause does interest everyone. The fatigue is no more a factor for the Indian team, at least. The team that so often wanted rest badly while playing international matches, citing fatigue and long tours as the key reason for poor performances, has been certified HAPPY and FATIGUE-free by none other than the Captain Dhoni.
Probably, IPL is the flavor of the season. How can someone face fatigue and how can one rest, when millions of dollars are waiting to enter the bank account of all!! In fact, the amount is so lucrative that it can get a dead man walking. And of course, it makes the huge amount paid by BCCI look like a small pie.
Ironically, nobody has any issue with it. The critics have been shunned with questions like why should players not have the right to play for money!! Probably, the critic basher forget to realise while there is no issue with earning money, there is certainly major issue when the same BCCI and players do not care when India loses continuously, and then same players who claim they are fatigue-free for IPL, complain against too much of international cricket.
Still, among all the questionable backdrops, the solitary T20 match is set to start in few hours at Johannesburg – the same place where India played their first-ever T20 match in 2006.
For the hopefuls, with India leading 4-1 against South Africa in T20 internationals, before the end of current international season there is everyone for the fans to believe that India may emerge winner in their last game of the current sesssion.
Considering the current past mentality of Indian team where they have taken international away matches without any seriousness, this may appear to be another vacation to visit new place before they start with the serious cricket of IPL 5 on April 4th.
South Africa Squad
Captain: Botha
Wicketkeeper: Dane Vilas/Morne van Wyk (wk)
Batsmen: Richard Levi, Farhaan Behardian, Jacques Kallis, Faf du Plessis, Colin Ingram,
Allrounder: Albie Morkel,
Bowlers: Wayne Parnell, Rusty Theron, Lonwabo Tsotsobe
Indian Squad
Captain: Dhoni
Wicketkeeper: Dhoni
Batsmen: Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Manoj Tiwary
Allrounder: Ravindra Jadeja, Irfan Pathan, Yusuf Pathan
Bowlers: Ashwin, Praveen Kumar, Ashok Dinda, Rahul Sharma
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