Proteas faced with Indian juggernaut

If it is a question of form then India will be in pole position. It will not be unwise in the least if one sees the former champions as favourites in this evening's semifinal of the ICC World Twenty20 against South Africa at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur. Things have been going very efficiently for MS Dhoni; his entire bowling department has so far done an excellent job -- Amit Mishra's craftsmanship in reigniting the art of leg spin bowling has only been the brightest spot in a glittering ensemble. A lot has been said about the dominance of spinners in the tournament, though a lot actually depends on the batting, and the conditions are undoubtedly suited to the Indian side. But it's a T20 game and a good spell from even a pace bowler can turn the tables on them -- the memory of Dale Steyn's fiery spell against New Zealand at Chittagong is still fresh in many minds. South Africa's pace spearhead bowling in the death overs simply turned snatched the game away from New Zealand's grip.  
India are fine-tuned and South Africa's progress might not have been as smooth as the Indians' but they also have the weapons in their arsenal to win the game and they proved it during the group stage when they won all close matches except the defeat against Sri Lanka. They also survived a scare from the Netherlands. It is very difficult to predict who can seize the momentum, very important in the shortest version of the game.
A pivotal point in the match may well be how well South Africa handle India's spinners and without any doubt Mishra will be a big threat. But they have batsmen in their side who have the experience of playing the IPL and the big guns must step up to make sure that they do not add another chapter of choking in the big match. Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers' and Duminy are there besides the dashing Quinton de Kock and David Miller, though they have been known to be troubled by the spinning ball.
On the other hand the vaunted Indian batting has hardly been tested in the first three games but against Australia they have fulfilled the demands as the damage caused by the loss of four quick wickets was brilliantly managed by Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh.
Whether South Africa, one of the strongest teams across formats, can go a step further and claim the elusive global title or India can continue with their sublime form will be the focus of today's clash.