A classic semi-final with roles reversed
India's progress have been efficient, almost what South Africa are used to doing; South Africa have scrapped and scraped like a subcontinent team
Match facts
Friday, April 4, 2014Start time 1900 local (13.00 GMT)
Big Picture
It's a world-tournament semi-final. One of the teams has been super smooth, stream-rolling opponents and making for boring efficient one-sided cricket. They have been unbeaten and without a bother in the world. The other has been almost dysfunctional, sorting out batting orders on the fly, relying on a crazy fast bowler with crazy eyes, a wristspinner, and jailbreaks even against minnows. South Africa against a subcontinent nation, then. Except that it is all inverted. India have played like South Africa usually do, probably their smoothest world tournament ever, but they also have the experience of going further: they are the current holders of the World Cup and Champions Trophy, and are gunning for this to complete the set. South Africa have played like a team from Asia, a bit like Pakistan, coming into the tournament uncertain, playing under different captains, somehow finding momentum when it has begun to matter.Form guide
India WWWWW (completed matches, most recent first)South Africa WWWLL
In the spotlight
Before this tournament began, Amit Mishra and Imran Tahir would have cast an eye on how their post-retirement funds are doing, and now they are two of the leading wicket-takers and key players for their sides. Legspin has never had it better in T20Is.Team news
Yuvraj Singh, who missed a training session two days before the match because of a knock he sustained playing barefoot football, is expected to play, said India's media manager. The two other decisions to make for India are between Mohit Sharma and Mohammed Shami and between Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan.Pitch and conditions
The pitches are getting more and more tired, which is making chasing difficult, but there is some rain forecast for Friday, which could make matters interesting.Stat and trivia
- At six matches, this is India's longest winning streak in T20 internationals. If India win this tournament, they will have equalled the longest overall streak, which belongs to England and Ireland.
- India have never lost a semi-final under Dhoni.
- AB de Villiers is three short of becoming the 16th man to 1000 Twenty20 international runs.
Quotes
"They'll have to use it for themselves for our advantage. We are not looking at things like that or what happened in the past. If they want to do it, it's their problem."R Ashwin's response to South Africa's poor record in tournament semi-finals
Faf du Plessis points out the limitation every Group 1 team carried
Sidharth Monga is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo