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Confident India will look to take lead in ODI series
Bolstered by their stunning comeback in Johannesburg, India would confidently take on South Africa in the third ODI on Tuesday.
- ESPNcricinfo staff
- Updated: January 17, 2011 01:36 PM IST
Read Time:4 min
Cape Town:
January 18, Cape Town
Start time 14:30 (12.30 GMT, 18.00 IST)
Big Picture
The Great Wanderers Choke only highlighted the concerns that were present from the first game. What if South Africa's middle-order collapsed? Can David Miller and the men below him shoulder the burden? AB de Villiers and JP Duminy ensured that situation never arose in the first game with their serene approach but Duminy was the one who started the collapse in the second game, by holing out to long-on. Smith fell immediately after taking the batting Powerplay and the rest crumbled. The situation will, of course, change significantly once Jacques Kallis returns for the World Cup: The lower order wouldn't remain so brittle and therefore this trial by fire is perhaps a great learning curve. If Miller, and Faf du Plessis, who is likely to play the next game, can get in a good knock under pressure, it will help South Africa in the World Cup.
This injury to Kallis can be a blessing in disguise provided the hosts unearth at least one lower-order player who manages to perform under pressure in this series. It would also perhaps help the likes of Duminy to fast-track those youngsters' path to maturity.
India, for their part, can now test their World Cup squad. Sachin Tendulkar's absence does raise another hurdle but the likes of Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina will find that the pitches in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth don't offer disconcerting bounce, providing them a better chance to succeed. It will be crucial for Raina to perform, for Virat Kohli, who despite his great form might still struggle to hold a place in the playing XI once Virender Sehwag, Tendulkar, and Gautam Gambhir return, is breathing down his neck. If Raina can put in couple of good performances with bat and ball, he can secure his No. 6 slot.
The World Cup selection has eased Ashish Nehra's headaches but Munaf Patel is turning on the heat by stringing together some good performances. Until the fourth ODI against New Zealand, there was no contest; Nehra was the clear leader but suddenly he has failed four games in a row. His past performances under pressure in the Powerplays and with the new ball should still hold him in good stead but a couple of good shows in this series won't hurt.
Form guide
South Africa: LWWLW
India: WLWWW
Players to watch out for...
JP Duminy: He turned in a matured performance in the first ODI but threw his wicket away in the second. The two games also showed that he is trying hard to correct his weakness - the habit of pressing that front leg too far across and having to play around it to the offspinners - and he has three more games to get used to soaking up the pressure and leading the lower order.
Yusuf Pathan: For long, he was the Kieron Pollard of India: Great for his clubs in competitions like IPL but a non-performer for his country. He changed that with a brutal hundred against New Zealand. His problems against the short ball are well documented and he perhaps wouldn't be in the squad if the World Cup was held outside the subcontinent. The pitches in the latter part of this series shouldn't have too much venom and gives him the best opportunity to succeed. Will he?
Team news
Yusuf is likely to come in. Will India go with Parthiv Patel as the replacement for Tendulkar? Patel's best position is at the top where he can, as he has in the IPLs and recently in the game against New Zealand, get in and swing his bat.
India (possible): 1 Parthiv Patel, 2 M Vijay, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Munaf Patel, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra
South Africa are likely to bring in the allrounder Faf du Plessis to strengthen the lower order. Wayne Parnell struggled to hit a good length in the second ODI and du Plessis might replace him.
South Africa (possible):1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Faf du Plessis, 8 Johan Botha, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe
Stats and trivia
   * India have won two games against South Africa with a one-run margin, making them the third team to win two or more games by one-run margin against the same opposition. New Zealand have won three such games against Australia, who themselves have beaten India twice on a one-run margin
   * Tendulkar was dismissed bowled in the second game. It was his 66th - the most for a batsman in ODIs - such dismissal, and he shares that dubious record with Steve Waugh (bowled 66 times)
   * Graeme Smith crossed the 6000-run tally in the last game. He is the fourth South African - Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten are the others - and the 41st batsmen in the history of the game to aggregate over 6000. He is the 12th opening batsman to achieve this feat.
Quotes
"I have doubts about the ability of some of the batsmen to play on these tracks. Suresh Raina seems to be forever expecting the short ball; he was so back inside the crease and got out to a full delivery. Rohit Sharma ... well the selectors must look at few other players who have scored well in domestic cricket."
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly makes a frank assessment
Match FactsJanuary 18, Cape Town
Start time 14:30 (12.30 GMT, 18.00 IST)
Big Picture
The Great Wanderers Choke only highlighted the concerns that were present from the first game. What if South Africa's middle-order collapsed? Can David Miller and the men below him shoulder the burden? AB de Villiers and JP Duminy ensured that situation never arose in the first game with their serene approach but Duminy was the one who started the collapse in the second game, by holing out to long-on. Smith fell immediately after taking the batting Powerplay and the rest crumbled. The situation will, of course, change significantly once Jacques Kallis returns for the World Cup: The lower order wouldn't remain so brittle and therefore this trial by fire is perhaps a great learning curve. If Miller, and Faf du Plessis, who is likely to play the next game, can get in a good knock under pressure, it will help South Africa in the World Cup.
This injury to Kallis can be a blessing in disguise provided the hosts unearth at least one lower-order player who manages to perform under pressure in this series. It would also perhaps help the likes of Duminy to fast-track those youngsters' path to maturity.
India, for their part, can now test their World Cup squad. Sachin Tendulkar's absence does raise another hurdle but the likes of Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina will find that the pitches in Cape Town and Port Elizabeth don't offer disconcerting bounce, providing them a better chance to succeed. It will be crucial for Raina to perform, for Virat Kohli, who despite his great form might still struggle to hold a place in the playing XI once Virender Sehwag, Tendulkar, and Gautam Gambhir return, is breathing down his neck. If Raina can put in couple of good performances with bat and ball, he can secure his No. 6 slot.
The World Cup selection has eased Ashish Nehra's headaches but Munaf Patel is turning on the heat by stringing together some good performances. Until the fourth ODI against New Zealand, there was no contest; Nehra was the clear leader but suddenly he has failed four games in a row. His past performances under pressure in the Powerplays and with the new ball should still hold him in good stead but a couple of good shows in this series won't hurt.
Form guide
South Africa: LWWLW
India: WLWWW
Players to watch out for...
JP Duminy: He turned in a matured performance in the first ODI but threw his wicket away in the second. The two games also showed that he is trying hard to correct his weakness - the habit of pressing that front leg too far across and having to play around it to the offspinners - and he has three more games to get used to soaking up the pressure and leading the lower order.
Yusuf Pathan: For long, he was the Kieron Pollard of India: Great for his clubs in competitions like IPL but a non-performer for his country. He changed that with a brutal hundred against New Zealand. His problems against the short ball are well documented and he perhaps wouldn't be in the squad if the World Cup was held outside the subcontinent. The pitches in the latter part of this series shouldn't have too much venom and gives him the best opportunity to succeed. Will he?
Team news
Yusuf is likely to come in. Will India go with Parthiv Patel as the replacement for Tendulkar? Patel's best position is at the top where he can, as he has in the IPLs and recently in the game against New Zealand, get in and swing his bat.
India (possible): 1 Parthiv Patel, 2 M Vijay, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Suresh Raina, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 MS Dhoni (capt & wk), 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Munaf Patel, 10 Zaheer Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra
South Africa are likely to bring in the allrounder Faf du Plessis to strengthen the lower order. Wayne Parnell struggled to hit a good length in the second ODI and du Plessis might replace him.
South Africa (possible):1 Graeme Smith (capt), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Colin Ingram, 4 AB de Villiers (wk), 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Faf du Plessis, 8 Johan Botha, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Morne Morkel, 11 Lonwabo Tsotsobe
Stats and trivia
   * India have won two games against South Africa with a one-run margin, making them the third team to win two or more games by one-run margin against the same opposition. New Zealand have won three such games against Australia, who themselves have beaten India twice on a one-run margin
   * Tendulkar was dismissed bowled in the second game. It was his 66th - the most for a batsman in ODIs - such dismissal, and he shares that dubious record with Steve Waugh (bowled 66 times)
   * Graeme Smith crossed the 6000-run tally in the last game. He is the fourth South African - Kallis, Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten are the others - and the 41st batsmen in the history of the game to aggregate over 6000. He is the 12th opening batsman to achieve this feat.
Quotes
"I have doubts about the ability of some of the batsmen to play on these tracks. Suresh Raina seems to be forever expecting the short ball; he was so back inside the crease and got out to a full delivery. Rohit Sharma ... well the selectors must look at few other players who have scored well in domestic cricket."
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly makes a frank assessment
Topics mentioned in this article
Cricket India Cricket Team
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