IND vs SA | Important to keep our IPL players fresh and mentally ready for series, opines Wayne Parnell
Wayne Parnell has stated that it is important for the team to keep their players who played in IPL 2022 fresh and mentally prepared for the series against India. Parnell also stated that he expects a strong comeback from India in the second T20I of the series and it will be tough to win the series.
India are up against South Africa in a five-match T20I series at home and have lost the first T20I by seven wickets. IPL 2022 was concluded recently and many of the South African players participated in the tournament. David Miller, Quinton de Kock, Kagiso Rabada, Rassie van der Dussen, and Anrich Nortje were among the players who participated in the recent edition of the tournament.
However, there were no signs of fatigue in these players as the visitors won the game. Wayne Parnell has stated that it is important for the team to keep these players fresh and mentally ready for the series.
“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,” Parnell said in the pre-match press conference.
The second game of the series will be played on June 12 in Cuttack and the Indian team will aim to level the series with a victory. The last ODI played on the venue was in December 2019 and India won in a run fest chasing down 316 with eight balls to spare. Parnell expects a strong comeback from the hosts and also mentioned that the team should adapt to the playing conditions as soon as possible.
“I think this match is going to be crucial. India will definitely bounce back, they are a quality side. We don’t expect anything less,” he remarked.
“I think every single game till Bangalore will be very, very tough. Obviously, it was a great win the other night, we can take a lot of confidence from that, but it’s a brand new venue, new conditions, so we need to adapt and start work.”