Proteas bowling needs repair as batters dominate in India

“This is a brutal environment as a bowler in which to come out and do your thing,” said Albie Morkel after another night in which bowlers were made to feel like second-class citizens in India.

Yes, it was only a warm-up match, so the intensity was 15% lower than it will be in the tournament and it took place at a venue that won’t be hosting matches in the T20 World Cup. But it was nevertheless another demonstration of how batters will dominate — certainly the early stages of the competition.

SA and India shared a match aggregate of 450 runs in Navi Mumbai on Wednesday night. Anrich Nortje bowled three overs and conceded 57 runs. Kagsio Rabada went for 44, also in three.

“There is not a lot of bounce; it’s skiddy with the dew in the evening, so as a bowler you’ve got your work cut out,” said Morkel, who is part of the Proteas coaching staff and carries the unconventional title of “special consultant”.

“We tried a few things but we’ll have to get back to the drawing board, get feedback from the bowlers and formulate plans.”

Batters have dominated in recent months in India. Morkel cited South Africa’s series there at the end of 2025 and the recent five-match series featuring New Zealand, as examples. Last year the Proteas notched up totals of 200 or more twice and won once. One of those matches was at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where SA will play three group games in the World Cup. India scored 231 — and beat South Africa by 30 runs.

Scoring rates in the series between India and New Zealand two weeks ago were comfortably above 10 runs an over for the most part. Those conditions will put extra demands on the bowlers and make the composition of the South African attack, especially for the Group matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand, critical.

Nortje, for one, looks out of touch. The form he showed in the SA20 for the Sunrisers Eastern Cape — on surfaces more conducive to his type of bowling — has slipped in recent weeks. Wednesday night’s performance came less than a week after he conceded 59 runs in three overs against the West Indies — also on a batting friendly pitch in Centurion.

India’s batters are of course perfectly suited to taking advantage of the extra pace Nortje and Rabada possess and deflect and flick a lot of balls behind square on both sides of the wicket — and sometimes over their heads too. Five of Indian opener Ishan Kishan’s nine boundaries were scored behind him.

The only bowler not to cop a pounding was Lungi Ngidi who went for just 23 runs in three overs, while Corbin Bosch delivered well at the death, conceding five runs in the 16th over and 12 in the 20th.

“Lungi possesses a really good slower ball, which works well in these conditions,” said Morkel.

Aiden Markram retired out after scoring 38 off 19, and Ryan Rickelton made 44, while there were encouraging signs for Jason Smith after a nervous start who scored 35 off 23. Tristan Stubbs, who is likely competing with Smith for a starting spot, smashed four sixes in an unbeaten 45 off 21 balls.

South Africa did struggle against India’s two spinners, Axar Patel and the prodigious Varun Chakravathy, which may offer encouragement to Afghanistan, who possess a strong spin line-up.

SA start their World Cup next Monday in Ahmedabad against Canada.

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