India eye retribution while the hosts look forward to carrying on the good form

After India finished the Test series on a disappointing note after intermittent glimpses of brilliance, the nation will be raring to replicate the success that the team found in the shorter versions of the game while they toured South Africa the last time.

One of the most defining factors of the series for India will be the absence of ODI captain, Rohit Sharma. Virat Kohli will be spearheading the batting lineup while the onus of taking care of the bowling unit will fall upon Jasprit Bumrah.

India will have quite a few questions to answer as they will be missing the services of their most destructive opener in the ODI format. This series will go a long way in paving the preparatory path for the Indians as the World Cup looms on the horizon.

Shikhar Dhawan will be the first pick as an opener wherein KL Rahul will be his partner as India takes the field. Virat Kohli will be up next with the probable inclusions of Shreyas Iyer and Suryakumar Yadav in the middle-order.

The wicket-keeping onus will remain with Rishabh Pant, especially after a fighting century in the final innings of the Test series. Venkatesh Iyer may be the probable all-rounder pick who will have to fill the gigantic boots of an injured Ravindra Jadeja.

The last time India played ODIs in South Africa, they won the series emphatically and could have even registered a whitewash if not for the Rain Gods. Virat Kohli led the Indian charge that saw him racking up 3 centuries and finishing the series with an overwhelming average of 186.

Shikhar Dhawan also played a pivotal role in defining the Indian batting attack as he stitched together 323 runs at a fine average of 64.60. Surprisingly, the pair of Kul-Cha that tormented the Proteas batters in the last edition of this series has lost its sheen considerably and will only be starring Yuzvendra Chahal this time.

However, he will be aided by the likes of an experienced Ravichandran Ashwin and an incipient Jayant Yadav in the spinning department.

The fast-bowling department will be starring the sensational likes of Indian vice-captain, Jasprit Bumrah who will have quite a lot of options to choose his generals from. Mohammed Siraj will be the primary pick to carry on the pace attack wherein India will have the luxury of rotating between Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur and Deepak Chahar.

Team news:

Both the teams will be without their star players as India was deprived of their formidable opener, Rohit Sharma even before the South Africa tour started.

South Africa was also deprived of their starry fast-bowler, Anrich Nortje after the expressman had to leave the bubble following an injury. The hosts, however, will be buoyed by the return of their primary wicket-keeper, Quinton de Kock.

They will also be starring the likes of a couple of new players in Sissanda Magala and Zubayr Hamza.

On a startling note, they decided to bring back Wayne Parnell to the fold who holds a record of tormenting India in earlier meetings.

Match details:

India vs South Africa (ODI series, 1st ODI) 

Venue: Boland Park, Paarl

Date: January 19, 2022 

Time: 2:00 PM IST

Head-to-head:

Matches: 84

India: 35

South Africa: 46

Stats:

Virat Kohli is the highest active run-scorer in the rivalry with 1287 runs from 27 games that came at an overwhelming average of 64.35. He also managed to rack up 4 centuries and 6 half-centuries until now.

Virat Kohli holds the record of being the highest scorer in an innings against South Africa as he played an unbeaten knock of 160 at Cape Town the last time India toured the Rainbow Nation.

Yuzvendra Chahal is the highest active wicket-taker for India in this rivalry with 20 wickets at an economy rate of 5.03. The last time India toured South Africa, Chahal bagged 16 wickets and became the second highest wicket taker of the series, just one adrift of Kuldeep Yadav.

Sunil Joshi holds the record of bowling 6 maidens in his 10-over spell against South Africa where he claimed 5 wickets to become the bowler with the best bowling figures in an innings in the rivalry.

Squads:

India:

KL Rahul (Captain), Jasprit Bumrah (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Venkatesh Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wicket-keeper), Ishan Kishan (wicket-keeper), Yuzvendra Chahal, R Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Prasidh Krishna, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Jayant Yadav, Navdeep Saini.

South Africa:

Temba Bavuma (C), Keshav Maharaj (VC), Quinton de Kock, Zubayr Hamza, Marco Jansen, Janneman Malan, Sisanda Magala, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Lungi Ngidi, Wayne Parnell, Andile Phehlukwayo, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Rassie van der Dussen, Kyle Verreynne.