A repeat of the Raipur-like collapse would hand South Africa the ODI series as well, coming on the heels of their 2-0 Test series triumph.
Consecutive series defeats are unthinkable for India in the current scenario, especially with reports of a dressing room pulling in different directions.
A win in this rubber could silence the chatter around the team, and for that, Kohli and Rohit will once again need to shoulder the responsibility.
Both have long been masters of the 50-over format and are no strangers to high-pressure situations. Their legacy is built on overcoming challenges — an exhilarating journey spanning the last decade and a half.
Now, standing at a pivotal juncture, Kohli and Rohit will be eager to add another glorious chapter to their storied careers. And it’s not mere ambition.
Kohli has two hundreds and a fifty in his last three innings, while Rohit has a hundred and two fifties in his last four outings. These numbers highlight their touch, class, and hunger even in their late 30s, signaling that they can still rescue the team.
Yet, meaningful contributions from the younger batters will be crucial. Ruturaj Gaikwad provided that support in the last match with his maiden ODI hundred.
Yashasvi Jaiswal, however, is still searching for form as an opener in this series. The talented youngster will be keen to convert his starts into big scores for both his and the team’s sake.
A glaring weakness remains in his batting against left-arm pacers, whether it’s Jayden Seales of the West Indies or Marco Jansen and Nandre Burger in this series.
Jaiswal has been dismissed 30 times by left-armers in his career (9 in Tests, 19 in T20Is, and 2 in ODIs), often while attempting a cut or its variations — a staple in his repertoire outside off-stump.
The team management and Jaiswal cannot ignore this pattern, and work to address it is likely underway. If the vulnerability persists, the selectors may consider alternatives, with Gaikwad already proving himself a reliable opener.
The ACA-VDCA Stadium pitch often favors batters, and India have a strong record here — seven wins in 10 ODIs since 2005, despite a recent defeat to Australia.
India will also weigh whether to rest Washington Sundar and bring in Tilak Varma to strengthen the middle order, which struggled to accelerate in the final stages of the last two matches.
Rishabh Pant is another option, but Tilak offers the dual advantage of being a utility spinner and a sharp fielder.
KL Rahul’s breezy fifties helped India post a par score, but dew played a part in South Africa nearly chasing it down in Ranchi and surpassing it in Raipur.
In this coastal city, humidity could influence conditions under lights, despite a recent dip in temperature due to cyclonic weather. A training session on Friday night should help India gauge conditions and finalize the combination.
Meanwhile, India will hope young pacers Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana tighten their performances to support the impressive Arshdeep Singh.
South Africa will be aiming for a second ODI series win over India on Indian soil, after their 2-1 series loss in 2022-23. A victory here would mark their first-ever ODI series triumph in India.
However, fitness will be a concern. Pacers Nandre Burger and batter Tony de Zorzi both had to leave the field in Raipur and their availability will be closely monitored.
Teams (from):
India: KL Rahul (C/WK), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant (wk), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel.
South Africa: Temba Bavuma (C), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Prenelan Subrayen.
