In the second ODI, India practically had the series win in their hands before Aiden Markram led from the front to outdo the twin centuries from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad to help his side level the series.
Now, we head to Visakhapatnam for the final game that will decide the series. For the third ODI between India and South Africa, here we present our preview and predictions.
After a horrid time with the bat in the red-ball series, the Men in Blue have thoroughly turned things around with the bat. After a winning performance in Ranchi, the hosts followed it up with another strong showing in Raipur. Rohit Sharma and Yashasvi Jaiswal got off to another brisk start before a 190-run partnership between Kohli and Gaikwad provided the platform for another big score. Stand-in captain KL Rahul’s late fireworks saw India cross the 350-run mark, and while he and the management will be pleased with the way the top and middle orders are firing, the team are missing a strong finisher, with Ravindra Jadeja’s struggles to get going quickly having hurt them in Raipur.
With the ball, India conceded 359 rather easily, but it is to be noted that the Raipur wicket got much better to bat on once dew made bowling difficult. Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh’s efforts have been promising, but Kuldeep Yadav has been expensive in back-to-back games, while Jadeja being wicket-less at home is also concerning for the hosts.
With no Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, or even Mohammed Shami, the young and inexperienced Indian seam attack has stepped up when needed, and on a track like Vizag where they’ll get some assistance, the likes of Singh, Rana, and Prasidh Krishna should have a strong outing.
As for South Africa, after a top-order collapse in the opening game, Aiden Markram stepped up with a fighting century in the second game at the top, with crucial contributions from captain Temba Bavuma, Matthew Breetzke, and Dewald Brevis helping the team chase down the total. Lower-order contributions from Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch have been a huge boost for the Proteas, though Tony de Zorzi’s hamstring injury is a cause for concern.
With the ball, seamers Lungi Ngidi, Nandre Burger, and Jansen stood out last time out and were both among the wickets and economical, though Burger’s injury is another issue that will worry Bavuma & Co.
The Visakhapatnam pitch will bring about runs once again, but the seamers should get more assistance. Despite going down in the second game, expect India to bounce back and win the ODI series.
Fantasy XI: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal (c), Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram, Virat Kohli, Dewald Brevis, KL Rahul, Marco Jansen, Arshdeep Singh, Corbin Bosch, Kuldeep Yadav
Venue: Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
Winners Prediction: India
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