India vs South Africa 2015, 1st ODI: Match Preview

An overview of the Green Park Stadium, Kanpur

After being humbled by the Proteas in the T20 series, India will be hoping to make a comeback in the 5-match ODI series beginning tomorrow at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur. India being a formidable unit in the 50-over format, especially in the sub-continent conditions, South Africa can expect a tough fight from the hosts.

Team director Ravi Shastri opined that the debacle in the T20 series was accounted by the fact that many of the players in the team hasn’t played together in the shortest format since last year’s T20 World Cup. Virat Kohli had meanwhile claimed that the losses could, in fact, serve as a “blessing in disguise” for the Indian T20 side as they step up their preparations for the 2016 World Twenty20 to be held in India.

However, such excuses won’t come to the rescue if India fails to make an impression in the ODI series which will also serve as a litmus test for the beleaguered captain MS Dhoni who has now suffered 2 consecutive series defeats, against Bangladesh and South Africa. His hard-hitting skills have shown a decline, and the poor performances of his pacers in the death overs aggravate his miseries.

However, Ravi Shastri is very much confident that his young side will make amends for their T20 mistakes in the ODI format. “We have had a good look in the two (T20I) games and know what we can expect of the South Africans. We are a far better side in the one-dayers, and I expect a very good contest over the next month,” he said.

Meanwhile, the South Africans would be heading into the clash with supreme confidence as evident by skipper AB de Villiers pre-match analysis where he talked up the all-round abilities of his bowling attack, especially reminding the hosts about the returning duo of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.

Team news

India

Umesh Yadav’s return to the squad will hopefully charge the pace battery, as Dhoni expects him to, with Bhuvaneshwar Kumar struggling to swing the ball after stepping up his pace. Dhoni has already hinted that all the three spinners might get a look in tomorrow while Ajinkya Rahane and Gurkeerat Mann will struggle to find a place in the starting eleven.

South Africa

India will have to face a potent pace attack of the visitors as Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel comes back after being rested for the T20 series. De Villiers will take the reins from Faf du Plessis with Quinton de Kock expected to make his first appearance in the tour as the wicket-keeper-cum-opening batsman. They have some interesting selection issues to deal with as Kyle Abbott and Kagiso Rabada both impressed in the T20 series, but only one is expected to make the playing eleven.

Broadcast details

TV Channel: Star Sports 1, HD1 (English) and 3, HD3 (Hindi)

Online Stream: www.starsports.com

Date: October 11, Sunday

Time: 09:00 local |03:30 GMT

Venue: Green Park, Kanpur

Pitch and Conditions

The scenic Green Park stadium at Kanpur is hosting an international cricket match after a gap of 2 years, and its curator Shiv Kumar has promised a high scoring match, stating that any team will be able to score well in excess of 250. The pitch is prepared primarily for batting and it is unlikely to get more than average bounce.

Due to the inadequacies of flood lights, Green Park is unable to host day-night matches and it in turn reduces the chances of dew in the 2nd innings. However, Dhoni remarked that the toss will be crucial in the match.

“A lot will depend on the venues, the kind of wickets, and the toss will also be crucial in certain venues – Kanpur will be one of them,” he said.

Possible line-ups

India XI

Starting from the elegant Rohit Sharma to the aggressive Suresh Raina, India has a strong batting line-up on paper. The top three picks itself while Dhoni is likely to come in at no 4. If Dhoni’s words are to be believed Rayudu will be persisted with in spite of his failures in the T20Is with Raina donning the role of the finisher.

The only possible toss up could be between Axar Patel and Stuart Binny with Dhoni seemingly preferring the left-arm spinner due to the conditions.

Shikar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, M.S. Dhoni(Captain and wicketkeeper), Suresh Raina, Stuart Binny/Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra, Umesh Yadav.

South Africa XI

De Kock will be raring to go at the first opportunity offered to him so far in the tour while the formidable batting line-up, led by JP Duminy and De Villiers, would look to carry forward the momentum gained by the T20s series victory.

Chris Morris might play as a bowling all-rounder. Meanwhile the precociously talented Kagiso Rabada and the pacer Kyle Abbott will have to fight for the 11th spot as Steyn and Morne Morkel will be sure choices of the South African skipper.

Quinton de Kock(wicketkeeper), Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers(Captain), JP Duminy, David Miller, Chris Morris, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, Kagiso Rabada/Kyle Abbott.