India vs South Africa Fourth ODI 2018 Preview: Virat Kohli's Men Eye Historic Maiden ODI Series Win in South Africa; Proteas Get a de Villiers Boost!
For India, it is the ODI series that is up for the grabs, whereas for South Africa, it is a matter of staying relevant in the ODI series.
India will look to wrap up the One Day International (ODI) Series against as they take the field at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg on February 10, 2018. India is now 3-0 up in the series and has gained an unassailable lead in the six-match ODI series. After a hat-trick of wins, captain Virat Kohli-led Indian Cricket team would look to seal the series in the fourth ODI. Team India has never won an ODI series in South Africa. The Men in Blue brigade would be itching to register their first win on the South African soil.
On the contrary, the South African side has been marred with injuries since the start of the ODI series. However, the Proteas will receive a huge boost in the form of AB de Villiers, as he will make his return to the team after missing out on first three ODIs. South Africa desperately needs miracles from their former captain to stop India’s winning march.
The South African team has looked clueless in front of the spin-combo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. No batsman in the Proteas line-up has been able to read their deliveries, and eventually has lost his wicket out of frustration. The silly lofted shots and hoicks in crunch situations are a testimony to it.
India, currently, has no major chink in their armour. It is only Rohit Sharma who seems to be out of touch. Also, the middle-order was largely tested in the previous ODI. Had it not been Kohli’s heroic rescue effort, India would have folded way below the 250-run mark. Opener Shikhar Dhawan has been in fine touch as he has hit two half-centuries in the previous two ODIs. He along with Sharma would love to provide a stable start at the beginning.
Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni, and Hardik Pandya – all have failed to contribute with the bat in the third ODI. If India needs to pouch the series at Johannesburg this Saturday, it will need the trio to contribute in the batting department significantly. Captain Kohli would look to avoid any complacency in the Indian camp. India is unlikely to make any changes in the playing XI, whereas South Africa really do not have a lot of options to ponder upon.
India’s likely XI:
1. Rohit Sharma, 2. Shikhar Dhawan, 3. Virat Kohli (c), 4. Ajinkya Rahane, 5. MS. Dhoni (wk), 6. Kedar Jadhav, 7. Hardik Pandya, 8. Kuldeep Yadav, 9. Yuzvendra Chahal, 10. Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Mohammed Shami, 11. Jasprit Bumrah.
On the bench: Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur.
South Africa’s likely XI:
1. Aiden Markram (c), 2. Hashim Amla, 3. JP Duminy, 4. AB de Villiers, 5. Heinrich Klaasen (wk), 6. David Miller, 7. Chris Morris, 8. Andile Phehlukwayo, 9. Morne Morkel, 10. Lungi Ngidi, 11. Imran Tahir.
On the bench: Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Farhaan Behardien, Quinton de Kock, and Faf du Plessis.
The third ODI between the two sides saw India Captain Virat Kohli break a list of records, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly. It will be interesting to see both the sides contest in this situation. For India, it is the series that is up for the grabs, whereas for South Africa, it is a matter of staying relevant in the ODI series. The India and South Africa Fourth ODI will be telecasted LIVE on Sony Ten 1 and Sony Ten 3. The Online Live Streaming of the match will available be on Sony LIV’s website and App. Stay tuned for all the latest updates about India vs South Africa ODI Series 2018.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 09, 2018 11:50 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).