Team India will look to put behind the disappointment of the Test series loss to South Africa as they are set to take on the hosts in the three-match ODI series starting in Paarl on Wednesday, January 19. The visitors will be heralding a new era in ODIs as this will be their first game since former skipper Virat Kohli’s removal as the skipper in the format.
With Rohit Sharma unavailable as he recovers from his hamstring injury, KL Rahul will be making his captaincy debut in the 50 over-format after leading the national side for the first time in the second Test in Johannesburg. Rahul confirmed in the pre-match press conference that in Rohit’s absence, he will open the innings.
Rahul will most likely open with the veteran left-handed batsman Shikhar Dhawan, who returns to the national set-up since the limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka where he was the captain of the second-string side for three ODIs and as many T20Is.
Kohli will retain his position at No. 3 while Shreyas Iyer, who last played an ODI in March 2021 against England will also come back to his familiar position in the ODIs at No. 4. Shreyas’ progress was hindered by an unfortunate shoulder injury that he sustained during the first of the three matches while diving to his left.
With no Ravindra Jadeja and Hardik Pandya, the team management will be tempted to play an extra batsman and the 31-year old Suryakumar Yadav might fill that spot. Yadav, who made his ODI debut on the Sri Lanka tour was adjudged the ‘Player of the Series’ after scoring 124 runs in three games at an average of 62.
Rishabh Pant will retain his spot as the wicket-keeper while all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer could make his debut in the 50-over format after playing the T20Is in the New Zealand series in November. After a breakthrough season in the IPL for Kolkata Knight Riders, especially in the UAE leg, Iyer continued his fabulous form in the domestic competition Vijay Hazare Trophy aggregating 379 runs in 6 games while taking 9 wickets with the ball.
In the bowling department, pacer and vice-captain for the series Jasprit Bumrah picks himself along with experienced seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The team management will mull whether to pick just one spinner and Shardul Thakur as the third seamer or go with two slow bowlers, adding leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal to the line-up. Looking at the venue and how the pitches played in the Test series, the coach will be tempted to go with R Ashwin as the sole spin bowler, while Thakur taking the remaining spot.
