New DelhiThe third T20 match between India and South Africa is on a ground whose size always makes headlines. When you reach Centurion’s Super Sports Park by road, at first glance you will feel that the match is being held in a pit. Well, there are many stories related to this ground, it is said that long ago a meteorite fell at this place where a huge crater was formed and later it was converted into a field. When you go to the ground to play or watch a match, you will look at the road in front and feel that vehicles are moving on you. If seen from above, it will appear as if you are watching cricket on a bowl-shaped field.
The third T-20 match of the series will be played on the grounds of Centurion. The first T-20 century for India came 15 years ago during an IPL match on this ground, known as Super Sports Park. In the year 2018, the Indian team had lost the match against South Africa on the same ground. Centurion Ta Maidan is popular all over the world for its size and behavior.
First T20 century on Centurion
India has a deep connection with the grounds of Centurion. 15 years ago, Manish had scored a century while playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second edition of IPL on the pitch of Super Sports Park. This century scored by Manish was the first T20 century scored by an Indian player in a T20 match. Thanks to this century of Manish, Royal Challengers Bangalore entered the finals of IPL. Where they had to face defeat in the final at the hands of Deccan Chargers Hyderabad.
There is a shark in the pitch of Super Sports Park
Fast bowlers get good bounce on the pitch of Centurion’s SuperSport Park Stadium. The ball comes quickly to the batsman. The host bowling can get an advantage on a pitch suitable for pace bowling. Whereas the spinners will be in a bit of trouble here. The average score of the first innings is 158, while the average fall of 6 wickets per innings in the match. From this it can be understood that batting here will not be that easy.
Whoever wins the toss will become the boss.
The role of coin becomes very big in Super Sports Park. Generally, the team winning the toss in T-20 prefers to field with its eyes closed but this is not the case in Centurion. 70% of the captains who win the toss in Centurion choose to bat first. The score on this ground is 211 runs, while the target of 155 runs has been successfully chased. The smallest score on the field is 118 runs. 60% of the wickets are taken by fast bowlers, while 40% of the success is in the name of spinners. In the year 2018, the Indian team played a T20 International match against South Africa at the Centurion ground, in which South Africa won by 6 wickets. In this match, Africa’s Heinrich Klaasen played a brilliant inning of 69 runs, which played an important role in his team’s victory.
Tags: David Miller, India vs South Africa, Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav
FIRST PUBLISHED: November 12, 2024, 18:32 IST