Having lost the Test series 1-2, the tourists would be hoping to turn the table in the 50-over format. The hosts, on the other hand, would be focusing on carrying their winning momentum in the ODIs as well.
The forthcoming ODI series will also witness the change in the leadership roles with Virat Kohli playing only as a player. Notably, Kohli was replaced by Rohit Sharma as the full-time ODI skipper in December last year.
However, Rohit was ruled out of the ODI leg, and hence in his absence, KL Rahul will be leading Team India while fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will be his deputy. It would be interesting to see the team combination in the series opener as the ODI squad has a mixture of both experienced players and some young talent.
Meanwhile, former India opener Wasim Jaffer has revealed his playing XI of the visitors for the upcoming first ODI. Starting with the openers, Jaffer went with Rahul, who is, of course, the captain, and experienced campaigner Shikhar Dhawan.
For the number three and four places, Jaffer picked superstar Kohli and aspiring cricketer Shreyas Iyer. The cricketer-turned-analyst then named Rishabh Pant as the wicketkeeper and Suryakumar Yadav to finish the batting lineup.
Amongst the all-rounders, Jaffer went with Shardul Thakur and veteran Ravichandran Ashwin. Notably, Ashwin is making a comeback in the ODI setup. He last played a 50-over format game back in June 2017 against West Indies.
When it comes to the bowling department, Jaffer named vice-captain Bumrah, leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal and had a toss-up between Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Siraj for another pace bowling spot.
Here is Wasim Jaffer’s India XI for the first ODI against South Africa:
KL Rahul (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shardul Thakur, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Mohammad Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah.
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