India vs South Africa: Pressure on Rishabh Pant as India look to avoid 1st T20I series defeat at home in 3 years

India vs South Africa: Rishabh Pant is under considerable pressure as India are in danger of losing their first T20I home series since 2019. The hosts head into the Vizag T20I in a must-win situation after having lost the first two matches of the 5-match series.

India will look to avoid their first T20I series defeat at home since November 2019 when they take on South Africa in a must-win match in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday, June 14. After losing the first 2 T20Is of the 5-match series, India can't afford another defeat against an upbeat visiting South African side.

India last lost a T20I series at home to Australia in February 2019 and have won 8 series on the trot in home conditions.

After having headed into the series on the back of a 12-match winning run, India have stumbled against South Africa as plenty of problems seem to be surfacing in the side. Stand-in captain Rishabh Pant has been questioned for his decision-making in key moments of the game.

Notably, the last time India played in Vizag, they lost to Australia on a two-paced pitch.

The focus will be on the under-performing spin-bowling unit that has been led by Yuzvendra Chahal. Axar Patel has not been able to do the containing role while Chahal has failed in his role as an aggressive leg-spinner. Notably, Chahal got only 2.1 overs in the first T20I in New Delhi while Axar was taken off after just an over in the 2nd T20I in Cuttack on Sunday.

It has been a surprisingly ordinary performance from Chahal, who won the Purple Cap in IPL 2022 with 27 wickets. The leg-spinner conceded 49 runs in a low-scoring match in Cuttack in 4 overs, picking up only one wicket.

India might look to make changes in their spin-bowling department as googly-specialist Ravi Bishnoi is warming the benches. Chahal might be backed for another game but the onus is on the leg-spinner to give India those crucial breakthroughs in the middle overs.