Bavuma Backs India for T20WC Semis, Points to Varun's Kolkata Edge

India and WI are playing the rematch of the classic 2016 T20 World Cup semifinal clash, with the clash set to take place at Kolkata. The match would be a home game of sorts for spinner Varun, who plays here at Eden Gardens for his Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

However, the star spinner has hit a slight rough patch in the Super Eight phase after a stunning start in the group stage.

Speaking to ANI ahead of the South Africa-Zimbabwe clash at Arun Jaitley Stadium, Bavuma, serving as a commentator, said that WI can match with any side in terms of their hitting abilities, and India is a team which can add "extra 20 runs to their score. So it is bowling where there is some difference, with India featuring superstar bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav as front-line bowlers and Axar Patel, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube as all-rounders.

The World Test Championship-winning captain, who won the Test series for Proteas last year after 25 years in India by 2-0, feels that at Eden Gardens, there could be some turn.

"It is exciting. I think the West Indies is a team that can match any power from a batting point of view. So, you know, I cannot call much there. Probably in the bowling, where I would say there is a difference between the two bowling attacks, where India are in favour, it is in Kolkata. Look, when we played there, the test match, I mean, it spun quite a lot," said Bavuma.

"So, obviously, you do not expect it to play like that. But obviously, there is that ability for it to turn. I mean, India has that strength, right? Chakravarthy is there waiting. West Indies has a couple of left-handers (In-form Shimron Hetmyer and Sherfane Rutherford). So maybe you could see that. I think India as well, you know, you kind of always add an extra 20 runs to their score. So, as exciting as it is, I do see India going through to the semifinals," he added.

In 22 IPL matches at Eden Gardens, Chakravarthy has taken 30 wickets at an average of 24.27, with best figures of 4/15 and an economy rate of 8.60. Varun has been India's top wicket-taker in the tournament so far, with 11 wickets in six matches at an average of 13.09 and an economy rate of 7.20.

But he has not been at his best in the Super Eight phase, as he went for 47 runs, taking one wicket in four overs against South Africa and had another underwhelming outing of 1/35 in four overs against Zimbabwe, at an economy rate of above 8.75. If there is any venue where Varun could make a statement, it is Eden Gardens.

Bavuma also spoke on the performances of his side's pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada, who has underperformed as per his might standards, taking just four wickets in six matches at an average of 47.25 and an economy rate of 7.98 so far in the T20 WC. However, in the last match against West Indies, he delivered a fine four-over spell of 2/22.

The SA Test captain lauded how effective the Proteas pace unit, consisting of Rabada, Lungi Ngidi (11 wickets in six matches), Marco Jansen (11 wickets in five matches), Corbin Bosch (nine wickets in five matches), and Nortje (two scalps in one match), has been as a collective. Temba also pointed out how Rabada had been unlucky, suffering some dropped catches off his bowling throughout the tournament.

"I think if you look at the way Lungi has performed, Marco has performed, (Corbin) Bosch has performed, you know, those guys have been superb. In its rare way, in a team, you are going to have four superb guys at the same time. Even his last performance against the West Indies, you know, he (Rabada) was one of the standouts," said Bavuma.

"I think he has also been unlucky, right, where there have been a lot of drop catches of his bowling. I mean, his figures could have looked a lot different there. So, I mean, for me, from a captain's point of view, I would not be unhappy with his performances," he added.

Temba said that Rabada, at 30 years of age with 590 international scalps under his belt, is a full "package" in terms of skillset and presence.

"He is an inspirational figure within the team. So, I can only see him continuing from his performance point of view. With players like him, during big occasions, comes pressure. When scrutiny was on him during the World Test Championship final (against Australia last year, where he took nine wickets, including a five-for), he was able to put up such a Man of the Match-worthy performance. If I were a betting man, I would definitely put money on him to do something special," he added.

- ANI