In the India tour of South Africa, the first ODI of the three-match series will be played at the Boland Park in Paarl on January 19, Wednesday.
After suffering a 2-1 defeat in the Test series, the stand-in captain KL Rahul along with the former captain Virat Kohli will aim to make a mark in the ODI format. The absence of the newly appointed captain, Rohit Sharma due to a fitness issue will be felt at the open slot, but the visitors have enough artillery with the bat. Apart from Kohli and Rahul, the Indian team has experienced candidates like Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin who could play a major role in the highly anticipated ODI series.
On the other hand, South Africa will be heading into this fixture on the back of an emphatic 2-1 victory even after losing the first game of the Test series. The ODI skipper Temba Bavuma will like to carry the momentum ahead in the 50-over format. With the inclusion of David Miller, along with the in-form Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi, the hosts seem like a formidable side.
Head-to-head:
In the head-to-head competition between the two teams in the ODI format, South Africa has the upper hand. The two fierce competitors have locked horns against each other on 84 occasions, India won 35 matches while South Africa emerged victorious on 46 instances. The last 50-over fixture between the two teams was abandoned on March 12, 2020, without a single ball being played. The entire series was later called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic.Â
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