Everything that could have gone right for India did, in the first ODI of the three-match series against Sout Africa, in Johannesburg on Sunday, December 17, 2023. Considering the fact that senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah are not in action, the thumping win would have been a huge confidence-booster for the KL Rahul-led young brigade. (IND Vs RSA Live Blog | IPL Auction Live Blog | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
The seamers, led by Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan, extracted all the early juice in the wicket to leave the Proteas reeling, and backed it up with strong second spells to bundle out the hosts for a lowly 116. The batters then made light work of the target, knocking it off in a mere 16.4 overs to hand the visitors a 1-0 lead.
The primary aim of the Men In Blue would be to wrap up the series with another convincing win in the second ODI, in Gqeberha on Tuesday, December 19, 2023. Let us look at three key player battles that could shape how the IND vs RSA cricket match goes.
Arshdeep Singh Vs Rassie Van Der Dussen
With his incisive spells in the first ODI, 24-year-old Arshdeep Singh became the first-ever Indian bowler to bag a five-wicket haul against South Africa in ODIs. The left-arm seamer has the natural ability to swing the ball both ways and can be a handful when he gets going. He trapped Proteas top-order batter Rassie van der Dussen in front with a lovely in-swinger for a first-ball duck in the previous game, but an encore of that would be a major challenge, considering the batter's composure and technical proficiency. Van der Dussen would be raring to make amends and this could be a battle worth watching, early doors.
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Kuldeep Yadav Vs Heinrich Klaasen
The left-arm wrist spin of Kuldeep Yadav has many sides' undoing in the recent past, with the leggie finding a second wind with faster, zippier deliveries. Kuldeep did really well in the ODI World Cup and then came up with a fifer in the third T20I to make his case for the T20 World Cup too. The 29-year-old would be looking to stack up another solid performance in the second ODI but standing in his way would be the hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen. The 32-year-old has had three single-digit scores in his last three international outings and seems due for a big one. Could Tuesday be the day for him?
Sai Sudharsan Vs Keshav Maharaj
Young Sai Sudharsan showed exactly why the cricket luminaries and his contemporaries think so highly of him, with an accomplished, unbeaten half-century in the first ODI. The 22-year-old southpaw has all the shots in the book and is known as a very good player of spin, but the going would not be easy against the guile and experience of Keshav Maharaj. The 33-year-old left-arm spinner is ranked the world number 1 in ODI cricket, and knows how to tie batters down, as well as entice them into committing follies. Will the youngsters fall for the veteran's trickery or ace the assignment? We will find out soon.
