South Africa vs India 2018: 3 key battles that can decide the outcome of the ODI series 

After a hard-fought Test series, India and South Africa will now lock horns in the 6-match ODI series. Both the teams are evenly matched and a tough competition is expected between the two sides.

Both squads have some of the best ODI players in the world, which promises an exciting duel. There will be some individual battles as well, where players from each side will look to target a specific player from the opposition. We will look at three such battles, the results of which might decide the outcome of the series.

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#1 Rohit Sharma vs Morne Morkel

Rohit Sharma and Morne Morkel had a contrasting Test series. Morkel was making a comeback in the side but performed exceedingly well for the home team. On the other hand, Rohit struggled against the swing and the pace of the South African bowlers and lost his place to Ajinkya Rahane in the final Test match.

But Rohit is a completely different batsman in the ODIs. He is a dominating limited overs player and will be looking to attack from the very beginning. Morkel uses his height to good effect and looks to bounce-out the batsman, while Rohit does not mind playing the hook or the pull shots. It is going to be intriguing to see what plans and strategies Morkel can come up with to dismiss Rohit early in the innings, because once the batsman is set, he can change the course of the match in a few overs.

#2 Virat Kohli vs Kagiso Rabada

The young South African speedster will look to unsettle Kohli with his pace

Even though India won the third and the final Test match, they lost the Test series 1-2 and Virat Kohli will want to settle scores in the ODI series. On a personal level, Kohli had a spectacular Test outing, wherein he displayed superb skills in tough batting conditions and he would like to continue the same form in the ODI series as well.

Kagiso Rabada troubled almost every Indian batsmen, including Kohli, with his pace and accuracy in the Tests and will be looking to get the better of Kohli in the ODI series. The Indian skipper appears vulnerable to balls outside the off stump early in his innings and Rabada would want to exploit this weakness, because once the Indian is well settled in the crease, he has the ability of taking the match away from the opposition.

#3 Bhuvneshwar Kumar vs Hashim Amla

Amla has struggled against Bhuvi's in-swinging deliveries in the recent past

After being mysteriously dropped from the side for the second Test match, Bhuvneshwar Kumar made a splendid comeback in the third Test and won the Man-of-the-Match award for his all-round show. While he had to fight for his position in the Test side, he will garner an automatic entry in the ODI series as he is the leader of the bowling attack. He has been excellent for India against top-quality sides, like England and Australia, and will want to carry on the good form against the Proteas as well. But Bhuvi will have his work cut out, as he will have to bowl against South Africa's most dependable batsman, Hashim Amla.

Amla opens the batting for South Africa in one-day cricket and has been highly successful. With Quinton de Kock going through a lean patch and AB de Villiers pulling out of the first three ODIs due to an injury, Amla will have to shoulder the responsibility of putting up a good score for the side. If Bhuvi is able to take Amla's wicket early on in the innings, India can attack South Africa's fragile middle order and restrict them to a low total.