The final clash before the T20 World Cup in Australia in a few weeks is between India and South Africa, and Proteas captain Temba Bavuma said it was the last opportunity for both teams to address issues in their squads.
The opening T20I in the series will take place on Wednesday at Thiruvananthapuram's Greenfield International Stadium. Before the month-long T20 tournament in Australia, the games give head coach Mark Boucher and his support staff one final opportunity to adjust the roster and try some combinations.
The captain said, "We'll be seeking to repair any gaps we feel there are because this will be our last series before the World Cup." At the pre-game press conference, Bavuma said, "We have men who have been playing a lot of cricket, and I guess we will be managing their intensity."
For several players, this is their final opportunity to play in a game prior to the World Cup.
"We also have some men who need to gain experience playing cricket. Given that this is our final practise in different conditions from Australia, it will be to give those players some game time, the South Africa captain stated.
Bavuma expected that the two teams will compete fairly.
"As always when we play India, we expect it to be a terrific series that is competitive.
"We were pushed and challenged in every aspect of our game the previous time we were here, and I believe we handled those challenges fairly effectively. I therefore anticipate a nice, robust, and competitive series, the player remarked.
The Proteas have been improving in the shortest version of the game, winning five of their previous six bilateral series; the sixth was a tied 2-2 result against India earlier this year in the subcontinent.
Bavuma expressed satisfaction with the team's overall development in 20-over cricket and stated this final series was an opportunity to make sure all of their preparations were complete before their World Cup start against an undetermined opponent in Hobart on October 24.
India will also use the series as a last opportunity to try something new before the World Cup. The hosts just finished a 2-1 series victory against Australia in which some of their top players, like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, returned to form.
"Those are names with a strong heritage behind them," continued Bavuma. As you have probably noticed over the past little time, the team's performance has improved due to their confidence.
"We anticipate them to immediately start out in front, which is fantastic practise for the team. It will be beneficial for us to compete with their best. We anticipate that these players will infuse their club with a lot of confidence and X-factor.