Press Trust of India
Rajkot, Oct 17: High on confidence after leveling the series, a resurgent India will look to capitalise on their return to winning ways when they take on the formidable South Africa in the crucial third ODI cricket match here Sunday.
The splendid 22-run victory in Indore was a shot-in-the-arm for not only the team but also under-fire captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. However, Dhoni and his men would be wary of dropping their guard against this strong South Africa side in Sunday’s game which is crucial as the winners would hold a distinct psychological edge ahead of the penultimate game at Chennai.
While Dhoni’s return to his clinically finishing best is a big plus for the team, the lack of runs from the blade of his successor as Test captain, Virat Kohli, as also of two other key members Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan could be a bit worrying for the hosts. Kohli, Raina and Dhawan are capable run-getters who would relish batting on a track which had been a batsman’s paradise in the two international games played there so far.
The visitors, too, have plenty on their plate to look into after their loss in chasing a modest total in game two. One of the priorities they need to address is tackling spin bowling effectively. While captain AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis have delivered well in the top-order, the same has not been the case with two other important members of the batting line-up – Hashim Amla and David Miller.
In bowling, the effectiveness of the tourists’ pace battery led by Dale Steyn has been nullified to a large extent by the Indian tracks. They have adequate spin support from Imran Tahir and Jean-Paul Duminy to slow down the pace if they pacers go for too many runs
The pitch curator at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Rasik Makwana, has said ahead of the game that the track would offer a lot of runs and the dew factor would be minimal.
