The 1st T20I between India and South Africa at Delhi witnessed the visitors pulling off a remarkable chase of 211. It was made possible with an unbeaten stand of 131 runs between Rassie Van der Dussen (75) and David Miller (64).
The action will now switch to Barabati Stadium at Cuttack on 12th June for the 2nd T20I. The South African pacer Wayne Parnell, who finished with figures of 1/32, shared his thoughts on the chase at Delhi and the 2nd fixture.
The 32-year-old cricketer hailed the pair of Dussen and Miller to take the game deep and secure a victory for the team. However, he added that the Cuttack game will be challenging for the bowlers as well.
"From 10 overs onwards, most people thought we were out of the game but we managed to stick in there and take it deep. We had two guys playing amazing innings and tomorrow is going to be the same, it will be difficult for us bowlers," said Parnell.
Parnell thinks the Indian team has the presence of quality players and can make a fighting comeback in the 2nd T20I. Moreover, he expects every game until the 5th T20I at Bangalore to be tough for the Proteas.
"Yeah, I think obviously this match (2nd T20I) is going to be crucial. India will definitely bounce back. They are a quality side; we do not expect anything less. I think every single game till Bengaluru is going to be tough. It was a great win the other night and we can take a lot of confidence from that. But it is a brand-new venue, new conditions so we have to adapt and start well," he added.
The experienced T20 cricketer also opined keeping the Indian Premier League (IPL) players fresh for the whole T20I series. The current squad has a total of 10 players who were part of the 2022 edition of the cash-rich league.
"It's important to get them fresh and ready for the matches, it's been 10-12 weeks in the IPL with a lot of time in the bubble. Getting guys mentally ready is going to be key for us," said Parnell ahead of the second T20.