When the fixtures were drawn up for the ICC World Twenty20, few would have thought that the last match of Group E would be an inconsequential one. But that's how the results have panned out, thanks to India's insipid display and some outstanding planning by their opponents. South Africa will now look to implement the same tactics and ensure that they enter the semi-finals with an all-win record in the tournament.
South Africa have been mighty impressive in all aspects so far, handling the pressure moments better than most other teams. Their line-up for this game will be slightly weakened, though, by the absence of Jacques Kallis, who has been magnificent at the top of the order but will be rested ahead of bigger matches. His replacement won't make things any easier for the beleaguered Indian batsmen, however: Morne Morkel walks in for his first game of the tournament, and you can be sure he'll give the Indians another examination of short-pitched bowling. Kallis being rested will also give more batting opportunities to some of the others in the line-up, specifically JP Duminy, Albie Morkel and Mark Boucher, all of whom have played less than 30 balls in the tournament.
For India, this is the last chance to get some crumbs from a campaign that has gone terribly wrong. Their batsmen have been found wanting against the short stuff, and there's every chance they'll have to battle more of the same against Parnell, Steyn, Morkel and Co. With no pressure on the batsmen, though, it might just allow the Indian batsmen to break the shackles and bat with a freedom that wasn't seen in the last two games.
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