Gandhi-Mandela Series: SWOT Analysis of South African team

Gandhi-Mandela Series: SWOT Analysis of South African team: The cricketing world is all geared up for the mouth-watering clash of titans between India and South Africa starting October 2. The South African team will be touring India after 5 years. After the tragic semi-final loss against New Zealand in World Cup 2015 and the ODI series defeat to Bangladesh, AB de Villiers and his men made a strong comeback against the New Zealand side as they won the ODI series 2-1 while the T20I series was tied at 1-1 which was played in the rainbow nation.

Coming into this tour South Africa can be called the favorite which is almost the case in most series that they play. Unlike other teams who find it difficult to get use to the foreign conditions, the Proteas have fared up equally well in overseas conditions as well in the last decade or so. But as they say, every story has its hidden secrets too.

So in order to bring about every facet of their game in focus, let’s have a look at the SWOT Analysis of South African team:

Strengths:

Adaptability:

The Protea side is one of the rare teams in the world with which we never associate the tag of being “Lions at home and lambs abroad.” They have not lost a Test series away from home since 2006. While they have performed well in limited overs format as well.

Experience:

The visitors have the bulky experience of the likes of AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, JP Duminy, Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel in their ranks who have played a combined total of 1,243 international matches across all the formats of the game. They also have the exposure of playing in India, every subsequent year in Indian Premiere league (IPL) apart from touring this country for international bilateral and ICC fixtures.

Mr. Run machine:

The Protea Test skipper Hashim Amla found back his Midas touch against the Black Caps in which he topped the run-charts in ODI series. Amla is particularly has been very severe against the Indian bowlers and averages 54.86 in Tests and 54.50 in ODIs.

Superman of cricket:

Yes we are talking about AB de Villiers who masks the face of both demolition as well as reliability. This year ABD has reached new heights of glory and has averaged 75.91 in ODIs while his average in Tests has been 148. Earlier this year, he shattered the record for fastest 50, 100 and 150 runs in ODI cricket. And he would be looking to warm himself up on this tour with some big runs and with one eye fixed at the World T20, 2016 which will also be played in India.

Bowling attack:

South African’s have a very fiery fast bowling attack which includes the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel who have performed very well whenever they have played in India. For Tests, they have trio of quality spinners in Simon Harmer, Imran Tahir and Dane Piedt. While in limited overs cricket, their star spinner has been the leggie Imran Tahir who has the skills to deflate any opponent team with his tricky variations. Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris add variety and flair to their bowling attack in the colourful jersey.

Weaknesses:

Playing Spin:

Like every other non-Asian team, the African side’s deficiency against spin on tracks that assist is no big secret. In India, they will be welcomed with pitches that assist the spinners and they will face quality spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin and Amit Mishra bowling in tandem and making their life tough on the 22 yards. Similar was the case against Bangladesh as well where they lost the ODI series 2-1.

Spin bowling options:

Although in Tests the African’s have gone for three spinners in the face of Tahir, Harmer and Piedt. But they hardly have the experience of playing 20 Test matches between them at the international level. Tahir has been wayward in the whites with Harmer and Piedt just making their Test debuts. In ODIs, they have an excellent leg-spinning option in Tahir but in India you will need at least two spinners to trouble the Indian’s who have grown up playing quality spinners.

Opportunities:

Lack of experience:

It will be first time since the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman and Sourav Ganguly that India will be take on the heavyweight South African side in Tests which will give the edge to the tourists. They will look to win their first Test series in India since their victory in 1999/2000 series.

T20Is:

South Africa would like to improve its dismal record in T20I cricket against India. Proteas have played 8 matches against India and have ended up winning only on 2 occasions. But this time around the immaculate balance of the visitors as well as the experience of playing T20 cricket in India, will certainly help them to decode the Indian side in T20Is.

India’s Achilles Heel:

India’s dismal bowling has been its apparent weakness for years. And the prolific African batters would like to dominate their bowlers and put the Indian batting under pressure by piling up with big totals on the board.

Steyn factor:

The likes of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have had their struggles against Steyn in South Africa with the African pacer making their vigil on the crease, a living hell. Now, they are two cog-wheels of the Indian batting line-up which Steyn gun would like to rattle them up to disbalance the Indian top order.

Threats:

Virat Kohli:

The Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli just loves winning and he won’t leave any stone unturned to take his side past the victory line against the South African’s. With experience of playing against all the Protea bowlers in IPL, he must be formulating plans to outwit them in the series and not to repeat the mistakes he committed on India’s tour of South Africa.

India’s new form bowling combo:

In the last 2 years, the lanky Indian pacer Ishant Sharma has emerged as the pace spearhead of the side and would love to carry on his lethal form in the series. While in Ashwin and Mishra, India have the perfect recipe in spinning department with a cunning offie and a deceptive leggie in the ranks.

Pitches:

Doctoring of home pitches by the host side is not a big thing in cricket. And India will also prepare pitches which will favor their spinners and make the life of the African’s tougher on the 22 yards.

Past:

South African’s will be well aware that defeating India in their den is never going to be easy. South Africa last defeated India in Tests in 1999/2000 while they are yet to win a bilateral ODI series in India and it is something that will be discussed in both the dressing rooms.