South Africa vs India 2018: Analyzing India's ODI squad

South Africa defeated the number one ranked Indian team 2-1 in the three-match Test series. The Proteas had taken an unassailable lead in the series after winning the first two Test matches with sheer ease. The two sides square off in a six match ODI series that begins from 1st February. South Africa is currently ranked number one in one-day internationals, followed by India in second place. The one-day series will be intriguing to watch as the visitors will look to fight back. On the other hand, South Africa will want to stamp their dominance at home.

Let us have a look at India's squad for the one-day internationals as they try to get the composition right before the 2019 World Cup. Virat Kohli will lead the Indian team as they take on South Africa in the six-match ODI series. Flamboyant opener Rohit Sharma has been named as the vice-captain of the team. Rohit led India against Sri Lanka in December when Kohli was rested for the one-day games.

---

India's top order

Rohit Sharma

29-year-old Rohit Sharma scored his third double century in one-day cricket against Sri Lanka last month. After a series of failures in the Test series, Rohit will look to change his fortunes in the ODI series. The 'Hitman' will have to face the dangerous new ball attack of South Africa. He will look to overcome the South African challenge by scoring against the number one ODI team. This is his best opportunity to prove himself in overseas conditions.

---

Shikhar Dhawan

Aggressive Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan was in tremendous form before this South African tour commenced. Dhawan's form faced a slump in the Test series, where he played only one match. He will open the innings along with Rohit Sharma. The duo will have to battle the threatening pace bowlers in the South African team to provide a solid start to the innings. The Delhiite scored 960 runs at an average of 48 in the previous year. His ability to accelerate at any point of the innings makes him special. The 31-year-old will look to compensate for his poor form in the Test series.

---

Virat Kohli

Kohli had a magnificent 2017, where he was named as the ICC Cricketer of the Year. He was the leading run scorer in one-day internationals in 2017, where he amassed 1460 runs at a mind-blowing average of 76.84. The Indian Captain will want to dominate the Proteas from the word go and will look to lead his side from the front.

Kohli was in fine form in the longest format of the game and will want to replicate his form in the one-day internationals as well.

The Middle Order

Shreyas Iyer

The solid Mumbai batsman Shreyas Iyer made his debut recently against Sri Lanka when skipper Virat Kohli was rested. Iyer managed to score 162 runs in the three-match series with an average of 54. He batted at number three throughout the series but Kohli's comeback will mean that the classy batsman will have to bat at number four against South Africa. Iyer is expected to solve India's long-lasting problems of the number four batsman. The 22-year-old can apply himself in any condition and will be a perfect number player in that spot for the Men in Blue.

---

Mahendra Singh Dhoni

The experienced campaigner MS Dhoni should bat at number five. He will provide stability to the batting order if he bats at his favoured position. The former skipper can act as both an anchor as well as a finisher by coming in to bat down at number 5.

His presence in the team is a big boost for any side and any captain. The veteran will also handle his duties behind the stumps as he always does. Dhoni has a poor average of 25.08 in ODIS in South Africa, which he will look to rectify on this tour.

---

Kedar Jadhav

Kedar Jadhav will play the finisher's role in the upcoming series. Jadhav has the ability to score quickly at the back end of the innings. He can also chip in with a few overs with the ball. Jadhav averages 41.95 with the willow in one-day cricket, and he has also picked up 16 wickets in the format. This will be Jadhav's first trip to South Africa with the Indian side.

---

Hardik Pandya

23-year-old Hardik Pandya is the all-rounder that the Indian team has been searching for since the last decade. Pandya can chip in with crucial overs in the middle and can be handy with the bat as well.

He is expected to play the role of a floater in the batting order. After a failure in the first two Tests, the all-rounder will look to come back into form. Hardik scored 557 runs in the previous year at an average of 34.81 and he also managed to pick up 31 wickets. He will be crucial to India's success in the Rainbow Nation.

The bowling unit

Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead India's bowling attack in the ODI series

The bowler who rattled the South Africans in the first session of the Test series. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the first preference to take the new ball against the Proteas in the ODIS. Bhuvi has been brilliant in limited overs cricket recently, he has added a few variations to his armoury. Bhuvneshwar has learnt to ball the yorker, the slower one and the knuckleball.

His swing early on in the innings has always been impressive. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead India's bowling attack in the six-match one-day series.

After a poor run in the first two Tests, Mohammad Shami bowled a match-winning spell in the third Test. Shami will look to replicate his success in the one-day internationals.Shami is expected to take the new ball alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

The duo can be lethal in South African conditions. Shami featured in only three one-day internationals in the previous year, the pacer has picked up 91 wickets in ODIS. Shami can surprise the batsman with his pace and bounce with the white Kookaburra ball.

The wrist spinner has been an integral part of India's squad in recent times. Chahal's ability to hold up one end brings wickets for India in the middle overs. Chahal along with Kuldeep Yadav is a threat to oppositions as they reduce the flow of runs in the middle overs.

Chahal has picked up crucial wickets in the middle overs. The leg-spinner has taken 27 wickets in 17 matches with an economy rate 4.67. Chahal is important for India's chances of winning in South Africa.

The 23-year-old pacer has been a recent sensation in Indian cricket. Bumrah can ball yorkers with ease in the death overs, his ability to contain runs at the back end of the innings is brilliant. Bumrah has added swing to his bag of tricks, the Gujarat pacer can swing the new ball and can be wonderful at the death.

Bumrah has picked up 56 wickets in ODIS with an economy of 4.75 which is great for a bowler who balls in the powerplay and at the death. Bumrah surprised the South African batsmen with his ability to extract bounce in the first Test.

PROBABLE PLAYING XI: Rohit, Dhawan, Kohli(c), Iyer, Dhoni(wk), Kedar, Pandya, Bhuvi, Shami, Chahal, Bumrah.

Manish Pandey, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel, Ajinkya Rahane, Dinesh Karthik and Shardul Thakur are expected to miss out from the first one-day international. The first ODI between the two sides is scheduled on February 1 at Kingsmead, Durban.