India Predicted XI For 2nd ODI vs South Africa: KL Rahul Might Spring A Surprise At The Top In Must-Win Match | Cricket News

Spinners not being able to pick up wickets in the middle-overs and the middle-order not being able build on the start provided by the top three have been two of the main reasons behind most of India’s defeats in ODIs since the 2019 World Cup and those two issues once again came to haunt them in the first ODI against South Africa in Paarl. India’s bowlers were not up to the mark in the middle-overs on a surface that wasn’t ideal for strokeplay, allowing South Africa to post 296 batting first. In reply, the visitors fell short by 31 runs despite a solid stand for the second-wicket between Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan. On Friday, India will face South Africa in the second ODI to stay alive in the three-match series with more questions than answers.Here is India’s Predicted XI for the 2nd ODI vs South AfricaRishabh Pant: The attacking left-handed batter hasn’t quite set the stage on fire in limited-overs cricket and his batting order may have something to do with it. Pant started his career at the top of the order in white-ball cricket but for India, he hasn’t got that opportunity. When Rohit Sharma is not there, it might not be a bad idea to push him up the order and give him free license to use the field restrictions.Shikhar Dhawan: Shikhar Dhawan can write a thesis on how to rise from the ashes. The moment everyone sort of counts him out, he comes back with a bang. The left-hander, playing in the XI due to Rohit’s absence, was India’s top scorer in the first match with a fluent 79. He can be the ideal foil to Pant’s flare.Virat Kohli: That wait for the 71st hundred is still on. Kohli was looking very good in the first match, carefully scripting yet another one of his chase masterclasses when a Tabraiz Shamsi delivery found the bottom edge of his bat. The former India captain was dismissed for 51 but the way he is batting, a match-winning effort may just be around the corner.KL Rahul: India’s captain for this series prefers to bat at the top of the order. He also made it clear that he would like to open with Dhawan in South Africa but considering the lack of experience and solidity in the middle-order, it might just be more beneficial for the side if he slots in at the crucial number four position. He had got a fair amount of success while batting in the middle-order when Rohit and Dhawan were opening.Shreyas Iyer: He has a weakness against short-pitched deliveries and that is no secret to any team in the world now. But Shreyas Iyer has to find a way to counter that if he has to have a long career for India in the middle-order.Suryakumar Yadav: India were a little thing in the batting department and the decision to leave out Suryakumar Yadav was a surprising one. The right-hander should come back in the XI for the must-win second ODI and bat at number six to provide depth to the batting unit.Venkatesh Iyer: He did not have a debut to remember. But more than his performance, it was Rahul’s decision of not giving him a single over to bowl, that surprised many. Iyer is India’s designated seam-bowling all-rounder and he has to bowl for the balance of the side.Ravichandran Ashwin: The veteran off-spinner was reasonably good in the first ODI but he would know that India’s needs him to strike in the middle overs to stop the opposition from posting 300-run totals.Shardul Thakur: Shardul is improving with the bat with each passing day. He slammed his maiden ODI fifty in the previous match and that does give some relief to the ailing lower middle-order of India. But the right-arm medium pacer has to do a job with the ball too.PromotedBhuvneshwar Kumar: The right-arm seamer is no longer the force he used to be with the ball in hand. These remaining two ODIs in South Africa will be extremely crucial for the veteran seamer’s future in the Indian side.Jasprit Bumrah: He was exceptional with the ball. Bumrah got a wicket with the new ball and bowled brilliantly in the slog overs, not allowing the well-set Temba Bavuma and Rassie van der Dussen to hit big. He would look to continue the same in the second match.Topics mentioned in this article



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