South Africa v India: Hosts face another trial by wrist-spin and other talking points

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  • Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will be raring to go once again.

    Having won the first two matches comprehensively, India will be gunning to make it 3-0 in the six-match series when they take on South Africa in the third ODI in Cape Town on Wednesday.

    We look at the key talking points as the top two ranked ODI sides resume their battle.

    HOSTS’ INJURY CRISIS DEEPENS

    South Africa had been struck a big blow before the start of the series when they lost AB De Villiers to injury for the first three matches.

    They received another jolt when skipper Faf du Plessis was ruled out for the remainder of the series after a brilliant hundred in the loss at Durban.

    Things have now gone from bad to worse with the Proteas losing a third frontline batsman in Quinton de Kock to a finger injury. Though De Villiers is nearing a return, the hosts will be hoping that the other two can regain their fitness in time for the upcoming Tests against Australia.

    It will be Hashim Amla who will have to shoulder the responsibility of propping up an uninspiring batting card.

    De Kock is the latest to join the casualty list.

    De Kock is the latest to join the casualty list.

    PROTEAS FACE ANOTHER TRIAL BY WRIST-SPIN

    In the two defeats so far, South Africa’s vulnerability against the wrist-spin of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav has been the common theme. Thirteen of their 18 wickets to fall have come against India’s newest spin-twins.

    South Africa’s problems against the turning ball have been compounded by Amla, their best player of spin, being dismissed cheaply before the spinners have come on in both games.

    Chahal and Kuldeep have managed to immediately shackle the Proteas batsmen from the very get go and their willingness to give the ball some air and mix up the speeds has worked like a treat.

    This battle will once again be the decisive factor on Wednesday and the hosts will need to work out a strategy to take on the spin-twins to have any chance.

    South Africa need to find an answer to India's wrist spin.

    South Africa need to find an answer to India’s wrist spin.

    CAN SOUTH AFRICA TEST INDIA’S MIDDLE-ORDER?

    Such has been the remarkable consistency of India’s top-order comprising of Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli over the past year, the middle-order has largely been untested.

    India’s top three have generally been doing the bulk of the scoring which has meant that chances for the likes of Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya have been few and far in between.

    If there is one area in the team India are still trying to figure out the best combination for in the lead up to the 2019 ICC World Cup, it is their lower middle-order.

    South Africa’s bowlers will be hoping to get in India’s untested middle-order in fairly early but for that they will have to stop an in-form Kohli.

    The likes of Jadhav have hardly been tested recently.

    The likes of Jadhav have hardly been tested recently.

    ROHIT SHARMA DUE A BIG ONE

    India’s deputy skipper Rohit Sharma has been in a rich vein of form when it comes to limited-overs cricket in 2017 where he registered six ODI centuries including a world-record third career double ton.

    However, 2018 has not been kind to the Indian opener so far after he failed to cross the 50-run mark in each of the six innings he has played on the South African tour so far.

    78 runs came in his four Test innings on the tour while he has scored 20 and 15 in the opening two ODIs so far.

    Rohit will be itching to get out of this mini-lean patch and show once again why he is considered one of the most dangerous limited-overs batsmen around.

    Sharma has yet to fire in the entire tour so far.

    Sharma has yet to fire in the entire tour so far.

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