IND vs SA: 1st ODI Preview – India’s bench strength up against Proteas

India and South Africa are set to play a three-match ODI series in the subcontinent and this will be the final preparation for the visiting side ahead of their travel to Australia for theT20 World Cup 2022. The home side have named a second-strength squad with no big names like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma while veteran batter Shikhar Dhawan will lead the side.

Three of India’s four standbys for the T20 World Cup have been named in the squad, while an update on Mohammed Shami is yet to be provided. In all likelihood, Shami is expected to join the 15-man squad in Australia as the replacement for Jasprit Bumrah. India is coming off a dominant display in Zimbabwe in their previous ODI series and will fancy their chances of another series win.

On the other hand, the South African side last played an ODI series in England which ended in a 1-1 draw and they have retained most of their names from the T20 World Cup squad for the upcoming India series. After the T20I series loss, it will be important for the Proteas side to seek revenge and end up in winning ways ahead of the T20 World Cup.

Weather Conditions and Pitch behaviour

The Ekana Sports City in Lucknow has been a paradise for batting and so far, the second batting side have dominated quite well in the conditions. The skipper winning the toss is expected to bowl first after winning the toss.

Current form (Last 5 ODIs)

India – W, W, W, W, W

South Africa – W, L, W, L, NR

Venue Details – Ekana Sports City, Lucknow

Playing Combinations