The Indian cricket team will look to get off to a good start when they face South Africa in the 1st ODI on December 17. The Men in Blue will have the momentum from the massive win in the 3rd T20I against South Africa but it would be more of a fresh start for both sides, who will look to gain early confidence going ahead into the series. South Africa will continue to be led by Aiden Markram while India will have KL Rahul at the helm after senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli made themselves unavailable for the series. Rahul on his part, would love to right the wrongs when the Indian team led by him in early 2022 were whitewashed 0-3 by South Africa in an ODI series. India vs South Africa 1st ODI 2023 Preview: Likely Playing XIs, Key Players, H2H, and Other Things You Need To Know About IND vs SA Cricket Match in Johannesburg.

Rahul will have a lot of exciting young players at his disposal, the likes of which include Sai Sudharsan and also Rajit Patidar and 'finisher' Rinku Singh, who all can be groomed to become essential parts of India's ODI setup going ahead into future, with the 2025 Champions Trophy in sight. India would face a stern challenge against the Proteas and it will be interesting to see how they fare against the hosts this time.

Top-order: Ruturaj Gaikwad is expected to open the innings alongside Sai Sudharsan, who is likely to be handed his debut. Gaikwad on his part, might get a chance to impress the management with a solid performance at the top of the order.  Shreyas Iyer is likely to come in at number three with Kohli not around for this series.

Middle-Order: A returning Sanju Samson, captain KL Rahul and Rinku Singh look likely to be forming the core of the Indian middle-order in the 1st ODI against South Africa. Should Rahul bat at number five like he did in the World Cup, it might make room for Samson to come in at four. Rinku, who has impressed with his ability to hit the big shots and take on attacks, is likely to bat at number six. India vs South Africa, 1st ODI 2023, Johannesburg Weather Report: Check Out Rain Forecast and Pitch Report at New Wanderers Stadium.

Spinners: Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav are likely to be the two spinners India go ahead with, in this match. Kuldeep is fresh off a fifer in the 3rd T20I at this very ground and the team management would want him to carry on that momentum. Axar on his part, will aim at making an impact and cementing his spot in the side.

Fast Bowlers: Arshdeep Singh is set to be part of India's fast bowling attack alongside Mukesh Kumar and Avesh Khan. The trio, relatively inexperienced in ODIs, will have a task at hand of picking up early wickets and closing off the innings. Akash Deep, announced as Deepak Chahar's replacement, is also in the mix but is likely to miss out on this match.

India would be aiming to put behind the ghosts of the ICC World Cup 2023 final and start afresh with a positive approach in this series. South Africa too have a point to prove, having had a good run in the World Cup before being beaten by eventual winners Australia in the semifinals.

India's Likely Playing XI vs South Africa for 1st ODI:

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (c & wk), Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 17, 2023 12:45 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).