Toss could be a deciding factor in battle of equals for India-SA ODI series finale

THE ODI SERIES BETWEEN INDIA AND SOUTH AFRICA is even-stevens at 2-2 and the Wankhede Stadium is all set to host the decider tomorrow, in what is expected to be a thrilling finale to this gripping, bilateral one-day series.

The tourists were billed as the underdogs coming into this ODI series, but in the process of playing some courageous cricket have managed to hold their ground. Meanwhile, the hosts too, have shown some tenacity to claw out of difficult positions and now remain on course to maintain their dominance playing at home.

For the Proteas, skipper AB de Villiers will once again hold the key with the bat. But de Villiers would need more support from his colleagues. The visitors would love to see Hashim Amla get into the run-scoring party tomorrow after an extended lull period. Meanwhile, Faf du Plessis would be hoping to convert his starts into something substantial.   

Moreover, JP Duminy’s untimely injury has unsettled South Africa’s combination a bit and Dean Elgar could be drafted in to add more balance to the squad.

On the bowling front, the visitors are delighted to see Kagiso Rabada’s progress and would be hoping for a final charge from their rookie pacer. Unfortunately, joint leading wicket-taker for South Africa in this series, Morne Morkel is in serious doubt for the decider owing to a quad strain and unless he passes the fitness test early in the morning, South Africa will be sweating for options. As far as spin is concerned, Imran Tahir could be the only front-line spinner playing tomorrow.

On the other hand, India looks more formidable after Virat Kohli’s return to form, following a match-winning century in Chennai. The middle-order too has got runs and the likes of Suresh Raina and MS Dhoni look poised to for a final flourish. Shikhar Dhawan has looked scratchy at the top, but a brisk start from the southpaw in the decider would be an ideal scenario for India.

On the bowling front, India needs to fix leaking runs at the death.  Once again, Dhoni could rely on his trio of spinners in Amit Mishra, Harbhajan Singh and Axar Patel to spin a web around the South African batsmen. That said, the wicket at Wankhede might offer some assistance for the seam bowlers and India would love to dent South Africa early with wickets from their seamers.

As far as the changes go, the South Africans will be forced to tweak their final eleven due to injuries. But the hosts are likely to stick to their winning combination from the previous game.

It’s going to be another hot and sunny day in Mumbai with the temperatures soaring around 36 degrees. The Wankhede wicket always offers true bounce and the batsmen will enjoy playing their shots. Shorter boundaries could also mean a high scoring game. Upon winning the toss, the captains will have little hesitation in batting first, considering no team has won while chasing in this series.