The Proteas will host the Men in Blue in the first of the three-match ODI series at Boland Park in Paarl on Wednesday, January 19.
After an action-packed, highly intense Test series that ended with South Africa emerging victorious by 2-1, the caravan now moves to Paarl for the three-match ODI series. India will take on the hosts at Boland Park in the first One-Day International on Wednesday.
South Africa haven’t won an ODI series in their last three bilateral assignments. In April 2021, they lost to Pakistan by 1-2 at home. After that they toured Ireland, where they managed a 1-1 draw after one match ended in a no result.
SA then toured Sri Lanka in September, again losing by 1-2. Their last bilateral series against the Netherlands had to be called off due to the pandemic after the only match that was played was washed off.
India haven’t played fifty-over cricket with a full-strength team since March 2021. India lost to Australia by 1-2 on the tour in November-December 2020. Later they defeated the world champions England by 2-1 at home. India’s second-string side led by Shikhar Dhawan did play a three-match series against Sri Lanka in July, where they came out on top by 2-1.
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In many ways, this series marks a new beginning for both teams. India’s era under captain Virat Kohli has come to an end while the newly appointed skipper Rohit Sharma is out injured. KL Rahul will be leading the side in this series.
For South Africa, Temba Bavuma has been admirably composed in the last few months, and the team have had a good run. They’ll be hoping the Test series win will spur them to greater heights.
Key players
Virat Kohli boasts of an incredible record, having amassed 12169 runs from 254 matches at an average of 59 and strike rate of 93. Kohli has 43 hundreds and 62 fifties to his name in this format. He hasn’t scored an international hundred in more than two years but has registered eight ODI fifties in 15 innings in the same period. Kohli looked in good form in the Test series and remains a key player.
Quinton de Kock, one of the best players SA have produced, has 5355 runs to his name from 124 ODIs at an average of 45 while striking at 95. The left-hander has smashed 16 hundreds and 26 fifties in the format. Quinton has scored 448 runs in the last two years at an average of nearly 50, including 120 in his last ODI. He is coming off a short break and could play a big part in the series.
Yuzvendra Chahal has been an integral part of India’s limited-overs success in the last few years.
The leg-spinner has played 56 ODIs, picking 97 wickets at an economy rate of 5.20. Chahal has claimed three or wickets in an innings on 14 occasions. He will be a crucial bowler for India in controlling the middle overs.
Rassie van der Dussen has been terrific for the Proteas in fifty-over cricket. He has played 29 ODIs since his debut in 2019 and has scored 1049 runs at an average of 65.56.
RVD has registered one hundred and nine fifties in the format. He is in good form across formats and will be a key player for South Africa in the middle order.
Prediction
Historically, the Proteas have a lead in the head to head record against India in ODI cricket, with 46 wins to India’s 35. But in the recent past, India have dominated. Since 2017, they have won seven out of eight clashes between the two.
India have picked a very strong squad for this series. They will miss Sharma at the top but they do have quality options in Ruturaj Gaikwad and Ishan Kishan to pair with Dhawan.
The middle order will be packed with Kohli, Rahul and Rishabh Pant, while Venkatesh Iyer is set to get an opportunity as an all-rounder. The bowling unit will be led by Jasprit Bumrah and includes the likes of Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ravichandran Ashwin.
SA haven’t made many changes to their regular squad, with the exception of Anrich Nortje, who will miss the series because of an injury. They have picked Wayne Parnell and Marco Jansen as all-rounders alongside Dwaine Pretorius and Andile Phehlukwayo.
The batting unit comprises de Kock, Janneman Malan, Bavuma, Aiden Markram, van der Dussen and David Miller. Kagiso Rabada and Tabraiz Shamsi will have a lot of responsibility in the bowling department.
India are a stronger side and should head into the game as favourites, but if the last few months have shown anything, it’s that you can’t count this SA side out in any format.
