India and South Africa are the pace-setters in this year's T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue have quickly established themselves as the firm favourites for this year's title after registering a brilliant last-ball win against Pakistan in a very difficult situation.
Meanwhile, in the green corner, South Africa has shown its big-hitting capabilities in the two matches it has played so far, racking up an eye-watering +5.200 Net Run Rate; New Zealand has the next-best Net Run Rate at +3.850 while the rest are far behind.
So, it comes as no surprise the Group 2 game at the Perth Stadium is a highly-anticipated game with the fate of the group hinging on how these two get on today and the rest of the tournament.
With that being said, here is a look back on some of the best matches the two teams have played in the shortest format of the game.
1) Johannesburg 2006 - won by 6 wickets
India first encountered the Proteas in a T20 game when it toured the Rainbow Nation in 2006, a year before the inaugural T20 World Cup that South Africa hosted.
The one-off game saw India clinch victory with only a ball to spare. A 21-year-old Dinesh Karthik played the finisher's role, which would go on to become his signature position in the team, to help India knock off South Africa's score of 126/9. Karthik's cameo of 31* (28) got him the Man of the Match award in a game that had MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Dinesh Mongia, who top-scored for India with 38, and Virender Sehwag as captain.
2) T20 World Cup 2007, Durban - won by 37 runs
The famous T20 World Cup in 2007 will be fondly remembered by fans as India won the inaugural edition with a very young team. In an exciting game in Durban, a youthful Rohit Sharma scored a brilliant unbeaten 50 (40) to help India score a competitive 153/5, with skipper MS Dhoni providing good support with a quickfire 45 of 33 balls. India defended the total thanks to a brilliant performance from left-arm seamer RP Singh, who helped himself to four wickets for just 13 runs in his four overs. India beat South Africa by 37 runs and was on its way to ultimate glory just a few days later.
Also read: India vs South Africa stats: Rohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar lead the way
3) T20 World Cup 2012, Colombo - won by 1 run
This match was bitter-sweet for India as this victory was not enough for it to progress through to the semifinals. Still, India produced a thrilling game that went down to the wire as it successfully defended its 152/6 score that it posted in the first innings. It was a complete team effort from the bowlers, led by Laksmipathi Balaji who picked up 3 wickets, including the final two South African wickets in the last over.
But all that effort was in vain as India was eliminated owing to a poor Net Run Rate, as Pakistan and Australia qualified for the final four from Group 2.
4) 2014 T20 World Cup semifinal, Mirpur - won by 6 wickets
Yet another Virat Kohli chasing masterclass saw India come out on top against the opposition. This time, it was the big occasion of a T20 World Cup semifinal. Chasing 173 to seal a place in the final, Virat Kohli (72* of 44) stepped up to the plate as he smashed Dale Steyn, Albie Morkel, and co all over the park as India won with 5 balls to spare.
Kohli fittingly hit the winning runs after MS Dhoni unselfishly blocked the final ball of the 19th over to give the former the chance to finish things off.
5) Guwahati 2022 - won by 16 runs
The South Africans were in India for a three-match bilateral series prior to the World Cup. Having won the first match with ease, India put on a big total in the second T20 with all five batsmen contributing to the cause. Suryakumar Yadav played a blinder, scoring 61 of just 22 balls, while KL Rahul (57), Rohit Sharma (43), Virat Kohli (49), and Dinesh Karthik (17*) came to the party to help India score 237/3 in its 20 overs.
The South Africans were staring at defeat after losing 2 wickets after 1.4 overs, with only 1 run on the scoreboard. But Quinton de Kock (69) and Aiden Markram (33) steadied the ship before David Miller blasted a 47-ball 106*. However, Miller's brilliant knock was in vain as South Africa fell short off the target by 17 runs, finishing off with 221/3 in its 20 overs.
Still, the Guwahati crowd was treated to a run feast (458 runs from 40 overs) as India sealed the series with the win.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
