The last game of the Super Eights in the ICC World T20 will see the Indians face South Africa in what has turned out to be a dead rubber.

India has already been knocked out of the tournament, while South Africa was one of the first teams to qualify for the semi-finals.

South Africa (8/11 at 888Sport to beat India) is obvious favourites to get the better of India in this game. They have the momentum going for them, and will not want to give up on it so easily, while India has been struggling to get going. With nothing left to play and a long, winding season behind them, Team India will want to get over with the game and fly back. Sporting Bet offers 13/10 for an Indian win, but the probability of that happening seems a tad lower than that.

South Africa has rested their top-scorer for the tournament, Jacques Kallis, as a precautionary measure as he has had a back spasm. In his place, Morne Morkel will play his first game of the tournament, also implying that the other batsmen will move up the order. Herschelle Gibbs (4/1 at Coral to be the top-scorer) could open the inning with captain Graeme Smith (7/2 at Coral to be best South African batsman). This also means that the players like J.P.Duminy (15/2 at Paddy Power to top-score) and A.B.de Villiers (9/2 at Tote Sport to be best South African batsman) will have a better opportunity to play a longer inning, something that should hold them in good stead for the semi-finals.

One also senses that Albie Morkel (12/1 at Ladbrokes to be South Africa’s best batsman) will be promoted up the order to get some clean striking going before the knock-out games begin.

The Indian batsmen have a lot more to ponder about though. With their inadequacies against short bowling exposed in this tournament, the likes of Gautam Gambhir  and Suresh Raina (4/1 and 5/1 respectively at Totesport to be the best Indian batsman) may find the going really tough against a pace comprising of Dale Steyn, Wayne Parnell and Albie Morkel. Rather, Yuvraj Singh (5/1 at Coral to be best Indian batsman) has looked like he is the only batsman to have mastered the oppositions in the tournament, but his battle against a very resourceful spinner like Johan Botha will be an interesting one.

M.S.Dhoni’s (11/2 at 888Sport to be best Indian batsman) lack of form is a definite worry, and he may just drop himself down the order to allow his more accomplished and in-form batsmen to bat up at four and five.

Tips:
Favourites: India (13/10 at Sporting Bet)
Top Indian batsman: Yuvraj Singh (5/1 at Coral)
Top South African batsman: A.B. de Villiers (9/2 at Tote Sport)