Conrad is preparing for his first significant test as South Africa’s head coach in a white-ball tournament against India. He has labeled this match as “the biggest of the competition so far” and is looking forward to the challenge. While the team has achieved its initial goal, he emphasizes the importance of focusing on the present.
South Africa will finish their Super Eight matches against Zimbabwe, but their qualification situation may be clearer before that game. The next five days in Ahmedabad are crucial. On Sunday, a large audience is expected, surpassing the previous highest attendance for South Africa matches, which was 55,000 during their game against New Zealand at the same venue. The match will be played on a black-soil pitch, offering a slower surface that favors spin bowlers.
Conrad commented on match-ups, saying, “They can be overstated. I’m not a big fan of it. Sometimes the wickets are so good that match-ups don’t matter. If there’s something in the wicket with a bit of spin, the offspinner could prove effective against a left-hander due to the angle. Overall, I think it’s slightly overemphasized on really good batting pitches.”
He mentioned Abhishek Sharma, who has not scored in the tournament after missing India’s second match due to illness. He has struggled with his form, getting out to offspinners in two of his three innings. South Africa’s main bowling attack includes two left-arm spinners: Aiden Markram, who provides more than just part-time offspin, and Tristan Stubbs, another occasional offspinner. They spent considerable time practicing their bowling in the nets on Friday.
Ishan Kishan currently leads the tournament in six-hitting with 11 sixes, followed by Ryan Rickelton with eight and Hardik Pandya with seven. South Africa anticipates challenges from power-hitting, having faced India in multiple formats during their tour last year. They lost the T20I series 3-1, but Conrad sees that series as an opportunity to learn and is eager to showcase his team’s improvements.
