South African skipper Temba Bavuma backed the Men in Blue to make it to the final four, pointing how the bowling, particularly of spinner Varun Chakravarthy could be the difference between these two sides with possibility of some turn at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
However, the star spinner has hit a slight rough patch in the Super Eight phase after a stunning start in the group stage.
Speaking to ANI ahead of the South Africa-Zimbabwe clash at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Bavuma, serving as a commentator, said that while WI can match with any side in terms of their hitting abilities, and India is a team which can add “extra 20 runs to their score. So it is bowling where there is some difference, with India featuring superstar bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav as frontline bowlers and Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube as all-rounders.”
“It is exciting. I think the West Indies is a team that can match any power from a batting point of view. So, you know, I cannot call much there. Probably in the bowling, where I would say there is a difference between the two bowling attacks, where India are in favour, it is in Kolkata. Look, when we played there, the test match, I mean, it spun quite a lot,” said Bavuma.
“So, obviously, you do not expect it to play like that. But obviously, there is that ability for it to turn. I mean, India has that strength, right? Chakravarthy is there waiting. West Indies has a couple of left-handers (In-form Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford). So maybe you could see that. I think India as well, you know, you kind of always add an extra 20 runs to their score. So, as exciting as it is, I do see India going through to the semifinals,” he added. — ANI
