Van der Dussen, Fakhar likely to return in third T20I

Mohammad Rizwan doesn't suffer first-ball foolery often. It's befallen him only four times in his 77 innings for Pakistan across the formats, and just once when he has been entrusted with opening the innings. That happened in the second T20I at the Wanderers on Monday, when George Linde induced a stroke that saw the ball follow the curve of an upturned pudding bowl as it blooped to mid-off.

So ended a streak of 10 innings in the format - half of them for the Multan Sultans in the PSL - in which Rizwan had passed 40. He scored a century and six half-centuries, four of them higher than 70, in those trips to the crease. The South Africans would have needed no reminding of his T20I prowess: he has made his hundred - a 64-ball undefeated 104 in Lahore in February - and two half-centuries in four innings against them in the past three months.

To get Rizwan first ball was thus a shock to both teams' systems. It told Pakistan they were not as strong as they would like to think they are, and South Africa would have proved to themselves that even the most in-form opponents are only human. Rizwan's dismissal set the tone for Pakistan to shamble to 140/9, their lowest total in seven T20Is. South Africa hauled it in with six overs to spare to level the four-match series at 1-1.

Will Rizwan bounce back? Will South Africa cast their spell over him again? It's a question that hangs over the third T20I in Centurion on Wednesday like the Highveld's famous thunderstorms. Happily, the angry clouds are not forecast to put in a significant appearance. But even if Rizwan is kept quiet again, Babar Azam will welcome being back at a ground where he scored 103 and 94 in the ODI series inside the past two weeks. So will the rest of the side. Pakistan won both of the ODIs at Centurion, where they have earned eight victories in 17 matches in all formats. Nowhere in South Africa have they won more games, though they have played fewer matches at all the other major grounds except the Wanderers.

The likely return of Fakhar Zaman is another reason for the visitors to be bullish. He missed Monday's game because of a rash on his leg, but word from the Pakistan camp on Tuesday was that he should be good to go. Fakhar's 193 in the second ODI was one of the greatest innings yet seen. That it graced the Wanderers and not Centurion is neither here nor there. Besides, in his next match, the third ODI at Centurion, he made 101.

But while Pakistan's confidence in staying competitive in the series is justified, no-one should expect South Africa to cower. Having made a mess of things in the first T20I at the Wanderers on Friday, when they conceded 60 runs in five of the last six overs of Pakistan's innings and were limited to 37 runs in the last five overs of their innings, they regrouped impressively two days later. And they did so with the same XI.

Aiden Markram, who scored 51 and 54 in the first two T20Is, hasn't known the feeling of making consecutive half-centuries for 31 innings stretching back more than two years. That he sauntered off on Friday and Monday looking like a player who knew he had left plenty of runs out there was an ominous sign for those who will have to bowl to him on Wednesday.

Heinrich Klaasen's efforts of 50 and 36 not out are evidence of decent form, and the Pakistanis can consider themselves fortunate that Janneman Malan's flying starts have resulted in crash landings at 24 and 15. Lizaad Williams is the series' leading wicket-taker and Tabraiz Shamsi is the most economical bowler. Suddenly, laments for the five stars who have gone AWOL at the IPL and the injuries to Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen are difficult to find. Better yet for the home side, the latter is over his quadriceps strain and should feature on Wednesday.

Good luck picking a favourite from all that, but we do know there's a lot of cricket still to be played in the up to 80 overs that remain of these entertaining teams' engagements this summer. So far, every ball has been worth watching.

When: Wednesday April 14, 2021. 2.30pm Local Time

Where: SuperSport Park, Centurion

What to expect: Another hard, fast Highveld pitch and outfield on a perfect late summer's day.

Team news

South Africa

Faith was kept in the XI that lost the first game, and they won the second. No changes are thus required, but the recovered Rassie van der Dussen is likely to replace Wihan Lubbe.

Possible XI: Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, Rassie van der Dussen, Henrich Klaasen, Pite van Biljon, George Linde, Andile Phehlukwayo, Sisanda Magala, Beuran Hendricks, Lizaad Williams, Tabraiz Shamsi.

Pakistan

Fakhar Zaman should return at the expense of Sharjeel Khan. Other than that, it's difficult to tinker.

Possible XI: Mohammad Rizwan, Fakhar Zaman, Babar Azam, Mohammad Hafeez, Haider Ali, Faheem Ashraf, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Qadir, Mohammad Hasnain.

What they said

"I'm actually glad he came down the wicket first ball. We tried to play on his arrogance a bit - that's not to say he's arrogant in a bad way - but just to try and force a false shot out of him. Maybe for two balls we were going to try and keep mid-off up and see if he'd give us a false shot. Luckily he did." - George Linde on South Africa's successful plan to counter Mohammad Rizwan at the Wanderers on Monday.