Zaheer suggests India test bench strength in final ODI

Former India fast bowler Zaheer Khan said it will be interesting to see how captain KL Rahul and coach Rahul Dravid motivate the team in the final ODI after having lost the series.

South Africa won the second ODI on Friday by 7 wickets to take an unassailable lead in the three-match series. The final ODI will be played in Cape Town on Sunday.

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Reviewing the match on Cricbuzz, Zaheer said:

“India should work on their mistakes. But they should also appreciate and keep doing the things that were good in this match. They can think of changes in field placements and how they can create more pressure on the batters. They can try saving ones and twos."

It's important to stay motivated to avoid a sweep, the former left-arm pacer opined.

“Since India has lost the series, the last match will not be easy. But they will have to find a way to motivate themselves. Rahul Dravid must be thinking in this direction.”

The series defeat has put a lot of pressure on captain KL Rahul.

“It has not been an easy two matches for KL Rahul. It will be interesting to see how he responds to this situation. India should try to finish (the tour) in a manner they usually expect and play their cricket. South Africa has played well, but the visitors wouldn't want to lose the series 3-0," Zaheer added.

Analyzing the loss, Zaheer said:

“I feel India need to address the woes in their bowling during middle overs. That is one of the reasons we have seen (Ravichandran) Ashwin make a comeback to the ODI side. Their plan was not giving them results, which forced them to make changes. A few regular bowlers such as Ravidra Jadeja or Axar Patel were also absent in this series."

“Opportunity to try out other players" - Zaheer Khan

Zaheer felt the visitors would test their bench strength in the final ODI, saying:

“Considering work-load management, India might rest (Jasprit) Bumrah. They have already lost the series hence it won’t make a significant impact. They can give an opportunity to (Md) Siraj or (Deepak) Chahar looking at the future.”

He added:

“The team management will plan and look at what kind of changes they want. But they definitely have an opportunity to give a chance to some new faces.”