RAIPUR: It is said that bilateral ODIs are fast losing their meaning and context. Try telling that to the Indian fans thronging the stadiums to see the final acts of the two giants with the white ball. Hosts India will look to seal the ODI series against South Africa with a win in the second ODI at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium here on Wednesday.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!India lead 1-0 after a 17-run win in Ranchi in front of a packed house. Another sell-out crowd of around 60,000 is expected on match day. The series has been boosted by the presence and form of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, collectively known as ‘Ro-Ko’, whose match-winning centuries in India’s last two ODIs have thrilled fans and settled the debate over whether they deserve a place at the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in October and November.
Harshit Rana Press Conference: Social Media Trolls, Outside Noise, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma
Transformed into a ‘six-hitting machine’ for a change, with Rohit eagerly ‘cheering’ his century, Kohli blasted seven sixes and 11 fours in his 135 off 120 balls to take India to 349/8 in the opening ODI at Ranchi. With scores of 73, 121 not out and 57 in his last three ODIs, the much leaner Rohit was also in sensational touch and found his timing early.A series win will act as a balm for Indian cricket fans after the soul-crushing 2-0 Test series at home to the Proteas and may also boost morale in a dressing room that is said to be fractured and strained.Raipur’s big boundaries may offer a contrast to the 681-run feast in Ranchi, but if the pitch proves to be another ‘road’, as Kuldeep Yadav defined the flat deck during the second Test in Guwahati, India will once again depend on pacer Harshit Rana (3-64) and the wrist-spinning spell of Kuldeep (4-328 in South Africa), who stopped them at seven for 328 in South Africa last time out. the game.In Ranchi, Rana’s twin strikes reduced the Proteas to 11/3 in the fifth over, while Kuldeep picked off the key scalps of Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi and Marc Jansen to stop the South Africans from scripting the heist.In the only other ODI at Raipur on 21 January 2023, India, led by the fabulous spell of Mohammed Shami (3-18 in six overs), bowled out New Zealand for 108 in 34.3 overs, winning by eight wickets with 179 balls to spare. After the floodlights came on, the game was done and dusted.Focus on team combinationIndia’s batting order in the first ODI has raised questions. The decision to play opener Ruturaj Gaikwad at No.4 and all-rounder Washington Sundar at No.5 and leave out Rishabh Pant and Tilak Varma backfired. Gaikwad made 8 off 14 balls before Devald Brevis took a sensational catch at point and Sundar scrambled to 13 off 19 balls, playing just three balls, raising doubts about his utility.Critics fear that increasing Sundar’s batting workload will cause a decline in his bowling ability, recalling something similar that happened to Irfan Pathan during the Greg Chappell era. Sundar batted at No.3 in the first Test and even on a pitch with a twist where SA off-spinner Simon Harmer grabbed eight wickets, the Indian banger skipped just one.Proteas no pushoversSouth Africa showed resilience after suffering a top-order collapse of 11-3 to reach 332 in Ranchi through all-round contributions. Marco Jansen has been the Proteas’ biggest asset on this tour, following his 93 and 6 for 48 in the second Test at Guwahati with a 39-ball 70 at Ranchi. Matthew Breetzke (72 off 80 balls) and Corbin Bosch (67 off 51 balls) also showcased the depth of the South African batting.India’s World Cup T20 jersey released today?Meanwhile, there is a high probability that India’s new T20 World Cup jersey for the 2026 World Cup tournament will be launched during the game.
