India take on South Africa in the second ODI to be played between the two teams at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday, December 3. The series is currently being led by India 1-0 after they defeated their opponents by 17 runs in the first game in Ranchi. The hosts are on a high and will not need much encouragement to make it two in two. If they win this game, they will be able to pocket the series, which will be a big relief after being whitewashed by the Proteas in the Test series 0-2.
For South Africa, regular captain Temba Bavuma was rested from the first game, with Aiden Markram asked to lead the side in his absence. Although their top-order batters, including Markram, Quinton de Kock, and Ryan Rickelton, failed to get off to good starts, they were served well by their middle-order batters Matthew Breetzke (72), Marco Jansen (70), and Corbin Bosch (67). Still, it was a case of far too little, far too late as the game slipped away from their hands, and into their opponents'.
India rode high on Virat Kohli's 52nd ODI century (135) and former captain Rohit Sharma's impressive 57, during which he broke the record for hitting the most sixes in ODIs (352). Although their bowling looks a tad inexperienced, with the likes of Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna going for runs, they can count upon the services of spinner Kuldeep Yadav. The latter picked up four wickets in the first ODI and had a vital role to play in stifling the South African run chase in the middle overs.
Predicted Teams
IND: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (c) (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.
SA: Temba Bavuma (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram, Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen, Nandre Burger, Ottneil Baartman.
Key Players
Kuldeep Yadav (IND): Left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, better known as a chinaman, has proven to be India's trump card in recent times. He is in good form after returning with 4-68 in the first ODI, and will be given the ball on the first occasion, captain KL Rahul can think of. Yadav used to be quite erratic in his younger days, but he has matured well over the years. About to turn 31 soon, Yadav has become much more consistent in his lines and lengths, and proves to be quite dangerous when the ball is gripping.
Marco Jansen (SA): Apart from leading the South African bowling unit and picking up two wickets, Marco Jansen played a crucial knock of 70 runs with the bat to help his team out in their run chase in the first ODI. The all-rounder has steadily grown to become one of the pillars of this South African side, and he now brings a lot of experience to the table. Having played in this country courtesy the Indian Premier League, Jansen knows these conditions fairly well and can adjust his lengths according to each pitch.
Match Prediction
India have the upper hand since momentum is on their side now. Whenever the likes of Kohli and Sharma get going, it becomes increasingly difficult for opposition bowlers to stick to their lines and lengths. While Sharma is downright brutal with anything pitched short, Kohli is firm off his pads and knows when to change gears very well. The experience the duo brings gives India a huge advantage over their opponents, especially in the batting department.