South Africa vs India 2018: 5 player battles to watch out in ODIs

The much-awaited Test series between South Africa and India has concluded with a memorable battle between the sides, with the hosts taking the series 2-1. The tour now moves on to the limited-overs leg, which will feature 6 ODIs and 3 T20Is.

The first ODI takes place at Durban on February 1 with both squads slightly different to what they were during the Tests.

South Africa have brought in Imran Tahir, David Miller and JP Duminy while India have flown in MS Dhoni, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, among others. Sportskeeda looks at the best individual battles in the upcoming series.

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Shikhar Dhawan vs Morne Morkel

Shikhar Dhawan has had the most impact in ODIs since his comeback in 2013 – he has learnt to settle down against the new ball and then smack once the innings approaches the middle-overs and the tail end, having formed a devastating combination with Rohit Sharma at the top. But his record in South Africa is below par, with only 12 runs in 3 games in 2013.

In the reciprocal series in 2015, he again under-performed with only 126 runs in 5 innings. In the first three of those matches, he was castled by the tall and fast Morne Morkel, who trapped him in front once while getting him caught with a slower ball and one that swung slightly away.

Morkel had also had him at Johannesburg in 2013 and comes off the Test series with 13 wickets while Dhawan was dropped after the first Test. How the opener chooses to tackle the lanky pacer's lengths on his own soil this time will be worth watching.

Quinton de Kock vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar

Quinton de Kock has a total of five centuries against India, but was out of form in the recent Tests

India's new ball specialist Bhuvneshwar Kumar has had his share of batterings in ODI cricket, having been smashed for 106 in 10 overs against South Africa at Mumbai in 2015 and more recently, being hit for 92 by New Zealand at Kanpur last October. In the former match, three batsmen had smacked centuries, one of which was the opposition wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock.

The opener has taken a special liking for India, having hammered three consecutive centuries during the 3 ODIs at home in 2013, something which kept even Graeme Smith out of the side; and in 2015, he again bashed two centuries in five matches, batting at a rapid pace to demoralise the opposition.

But low scores in the Tests recently mean de Kock is under pressure against the dependable Bhuvneshwar, who can swing the new ball both ways and have an early say in the game.

Hashim Amla vs Mohammad Shami

Mohammad Shami can challenge Hashim Amla with the new ball

When on song, there is no other current Indian bowler who looks better than Mohammad Shami. He has pace, swing and seam. At the same time, when in form, few batsmen can have as much impact as Hashim Amla.

While Shami has been injury prone and a bit ineffective in ODIs recently as compared to Tests – in fact, he has played only thrice since the 2015 World Cup – despite a low recent run, Amla showed his class with twin half-centuries on a treacherous Johannesburg pitch in the third Test.

The opener averaged merely 17.80 in the ODIs in India three years back, but has formed one of the most feared opening partnerships in ODIs alongside Quinton de Kock. However, he may have to face a rampaging Shami in the upcoming matches as India would be looking to induct three frontline pacers with only a single spinner on South African pitches which will offer little for the slow bowlers.

AB De Villiers vs Jasprit Bumrah

Jasprit Bumrah claimed AB de Villiers' thrice in the Tests, but the former captain can hurt India in the ODIs

Considered India's limited-overs expert before the Tests in South Africa, Jasprit Bumrah answered to his critics with 14 wickets. He brought his form to the longer format and proved that although he was capable of delivering pinpoint yorkers and back of the hand slower balls at the death with the white ball, he also had it in him to bowl sharp spells in Test cricket.

But his late-over expertise might be challenged by the smashing AB de Villiers, who has an ODI strike rate of 101. Bumrah will be wary of de Villiers' attacking instincts in limited-overs cricket, irrespective of the fact that he now has a lighter shoulder after resigning as captain.

The swashbuckling middle-order bat hammered three centuries against India in 2015 and can finish off the innings with tremendous firepower. But so can Bumrah with the ball with his death over skills, and their duel in the slog overs will be of great interest, especially after Bumrah got de Villiers in the Tests.

Virat Kohli vs Kagiso Rabada

Virat Kohli is yet to score an ODI hundred in South Africa, and Rabada will want that record to stand

Undoubtedly the most consistent ODI batsman of his era, Virat Kohli, despite having played 11 ODIs in South Africa, has a highest of only 87* there, way back in 2011. South Africa is the only nation where Kohli has played ODIs but is yet to register a century, and that fact will be fully exploited by the in-form Kagiso Rabada.

The fiery Rabada, who was the joint-highest wicket-taker in the Test series with his pace and accuracy, had bravely stopped MS Dhoni from clinching a close game for India at Kanpur in 2015.

Both Kohli and Rabada fought an intriguing battle in the Tests where the bowler kept luring him into drives outside the off stump and also teased him with incoming deliveries, while Kohli maintained his composure to give his wicket away only once in six innings.

In that 2015 series, however, Rabada had removed Kohli twice, and another fight between the two will always attract more attention than others.