Shaun
India vs South Africa Live Updates, 2nd ODI IND vs SA: India hold onto a 1-0 lead after a thrilling victory in Ranchi, but the Proteas will be ready to fight back as the series heads to Raipur.
India vs South Africa Live Updates, 2nd ODI IND vs SA: In a high-scoring thriller, India hung on against a lower-order rearguard effort from South Africa’s all-rounders to ensured they didn’t throw away an excellent start provided by Virat Kohli’s 52nd ODI century in Ranchi. Keeping their nerve in the closing stages with dew and big hits all over, India sealed the 1-0 series lead, and will now have the chance to clinch things as the series heads to Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium.
The Proteas, though, will have plenty of confidence about their team having the substance to beat India after pushing them close despite chasing 350. This is a South African team that has chopped and changed throughout the year as they experiment in the leadup to 2027’s home World Cup, and nobody’s spot in this unit is truly safe: there are plenty of challengers, and they seemed to have found a good balance.
On a fast-bowling friendly surface, at least off of limited data, both teams will feel like they are in it, and will back their respective corps to get it done. But who can be the most clinical when the going gets tough?
India vs South Africa predicted XI
India are not likely to make too many changes to a team that was successful. The one big question that exists is how long the team will persist with the plan of KL Rahul at number 5: it isn’t that this tactic doesn’t work, as the stand-in captain showed with a fine half-century, but he was the first to admit that it isn’t the role that gets the best out of him with a pinch-hitter being used ahead of him. A minor shuffle should be expected, but otherwise the same team – with Ruturaj Gaikwad getting another chance, and an extra seam bowler just for some more firepower.
IND predicted XI: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (c&wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna
South Africa rested two of their Test heroes in Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj for the opening ODI, but both should be back. Maharaj’s return will be important in particular: the way to keep Virat Kohli tied down has historically been slow left-arm spin, and Maharaj has been one of the form’s finest exponents in recent years. With Bavuma coming in, Ryan Rickelton might be the next player to earn a breather.
SA predicted XI: Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock (wk), Tony de Zorzi, Matthew Breetzke, Temba Bavuma (c), Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Ottneil Baartman
