Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts
 

India Vs South Africa: Here's the Probable India XI for 5th ODI in Port Elizabeth

India will face South Africa in the fifth ODI in Port Elizabeth on Tuesday. Here's the Probable India XI for 5th ODI.

India Vs South Africa: Here's the Probable India XI for 5th ODI in Port Elizabeth

Port Elizabeth, Feb 12: India would be eager to come to winning terms by defeating South Africa in the fifth ODI and clinch their maiden bilateral series here.

Preview: 5th ODI</a>; <a href=Schedule; No Succession plan for Dhoni" title="Preview: 5th ODI; Schedule; No Succession plan for Dhoni" />Preview: 5th ODI; Schedule; No Succession plan for Dhoni

Team India suffered their first defeat in the ongoing ODI series against hosts in the fourth ODI after the match was curtailed due to rain.

Chasing a revised target of 202 from 28 overs, South Africa - maintained their 100 percent winning record in Pink - as they defeated an upbeat Indian side by 5 wickets and kept their hopes in the six-match series alive.

India, on the other hand, failed to register their fourth successive win, which denied them a series win. They would now be hoping to turn things around in the fifth ODI at St. George's Park - where they haven't won any games. India have played five ODIs at this venue and lost on all those occasions.

Thus, India skipper Virat Kohli must be chasing a history when they come out to face the Proteas on Tuesday (February 13).

The Men in Blue suffered a major setback in the previous game as their spinners went for runs in the match. The spinners were their most potent weapon in this series and looked almost unplayable until the fourth ODI.

Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav had been bowling very miserly in the series but in Johannesburg, they leaked runs at a crucial time as the target was revised and it was almost a T20-like situation for the chasing side.

Return of AB de Villiers to the side, exploits of a young Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller's aggressive cameo against the Indian spin-twin would have bolstered the team's morale. The Proteas must be hoping to play the spinners much freely and aggressively after that hammering the fourth ODI.

As for the visitors, they must be hoping to undo the wrongs committed by them, which as per the experts were many, right from opting to bat after winning the toss. The visitors lost the momentum after the lightning break, while batting, and let the match slip from their hands with sloppy fielding and No balls.

It must, therefore, be interesting to see which Playing XI the Indian skipper comes up with.

Here's is our prediction of India's Probable XI for the 5th ODI:

1. Rohit Sharma

1. Rohit Sharma

The right-handed batsman's consistently poor form on South African soil has been a concern for the side. The team's second most trusted batsman in the limited-overs' has failed terribly in all the four games he's played so far.

The right-handed batsman has had a score of 20, 15, 0 and 5 in the series so far and Kagiso Rabada has been his nemesis on this tour. The Mumbaikar has been out-of-form throughout the series and his dismissal brings the team under pressure very early.

Rohit must be eager to get past the poor-patch and improve his figures in South Africa in the remaining two ODIs.

2. Shikhar Dhawan

2. Shikhar Dhawan

The left-handed opener has been in great touch and the centurion in the previous game must be eager to continue his form.

Dhawan, who was playing his 100th ODI, became first Indian to bring up a ton in the milestone game. Along with skipper, Kohli, Dhawan recovered the visitors from the early loss of Rohit Sharma. His knock of 105-ball 107 took the visitors to a decent total.

He lost its momentum post the lightning break and his departure at a crucial time cost the team as well.

The team must be eying another good show from Dhawan in the fifth ODI if they wish to win it.

3. Virat Kohli

3. Virat Kohli

The skipper and team's batting mainstay has been in ominous form on this tour. Kohli, once again, showed his class and played a sublime 75-run knock in the fourth ODI.

The Proteas did their homework well against Kohli in Johannesburg, but they still couldn't stop him from scoring runs.

The Indian skipper has played a knock of 112, 46*, 160* and 75 in the series so far and has already set several records in the series.

The team would once again be relying upon their charismatic skipper in the fifth ODI as they are one win away from creating history on the South African soil.

4. Ajinkya Rahane

4. Ajinkya Rahane

The Mumbaikar, who was the biggest positives for the visitors in the first ODI, hasn't been able to replicate his performance in the third and fourth ODI. He didn't come out to bat in the second ODI, but the way he was dismissed in the last two games certainly fetched him a lot of criticism.

Rahane threw his wicket away in the third and fourth ODI and departed cheaply.

The team and skipper must be hoping that Rahane makes most of the opportunity when he comes to bat at St. George's Park and cements his spot at number 4.

5. Shreyas Iyer/Kedar Jadhav

5. Shreyas Iyer/Kedar Jadhav

Shreyas Iyer was picked into the side for the fourth ODI as Kedar Jadhav had pulled a hamstring and was ruled out. Iyer came in to bat at No. 5 and scored just 18 runs before being dismissed.

The youngster, playing his first ODI on the SA soil, even dropped David Miller's catch - which cost India badly, perhaps the game.

Shreyas may have to sit out in the fifth ODI if Jadhav gets fit, else he'll once again be back into the side.

6. MS Dhoni

6. MS Dhoni

The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman played an unbeaten knock of 42 in the fifth ODI and took India to 289. It was his ability to target bowlers in the final overs that ensured the visitors reach a respectable total after the hosts bowled superbly in the final powerplay.

Dhoni didn't get too much of strike in the final overs but tried to make most of it whenever he got an opportunity.

However, he couldn't rotate the strike as freely as he once used to do and that is hurting the team. But Dhoni definitely going to make it to the side for he's still the finest limited-overs' wicketkeeper.

The team management must now ask him to promote up in the order for it gives the 36-year-old an opportunity to spend some time in the middle before shifting his gear.

7. Hardik Pandya

7. Hardik Pandya

The all-rounder will once again be asked to perform his duties as a batting all-rounder in the fifth ODI. Pandya would be required to bowl those 5-10 overs and utilised as a floating batsman, as per the situation.

Pandya was even promoted ahead of Dhoni in some games here, but he could hardly make any difference.

Therefore, the Baroda all-rounder must be eager to prove his mettle in the fifth ODI for the series has almost been a silent one for him.

8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar

The UP-pacer may not have been at his economical best in the series but he has been leading India's pace battery very well.

He will definitely feature in India's squad in the fifth ODI as the condition in Port Elizabeth would favour him.

Bhuvneshwar has been team's best new ball bowler and a brilliant death-overs' specialist and everyone were surprised as Kohli didn't operate him in the rain-truncated 4th ODI when the spinners were being punished by Klaasen and Miller.

9. Yuzvendra Chahal

9. Yuzvendra Chahal

He has been the leading wicket-taker in the series so far but the mistakes committed by him in the previous game hurt his side badly.

Chahal not only leaked runs, though the pitch and conditions were not in his favour but also bowled two No-balls which proved to be the turning point of the match. He bowled two no-balls in the game - which is simply unacceptable from a spinner.

However, Chahal would once again make it to the playing XI in the fifth ODI as captain would not want his main spinner to be demoralised.

10. Kuldeep Yadav

10. Kuldeep Yadav

The Chinaman's story was also the same in the previous game. He was punished by the Proteas, especially the trio of De Villiers, Miller and Klaasen and would be hoping to forget it as one of those rare day offs.

The skipper must be hoping Kuldeep to come back strongly in the fifth ODI.

11. Jasprit Bumrah

11. Jasprit Bumrah

The young speedster was one of the positives for India in the Test series as he constantly improved with every game.

The 24-year-old Gujarat pacer has been picking up wickets in the powerplays and the skipper would be hoping similar effort from him.

Story first published: Monday, February 12, 2018, 16:51 [IST]
Other articles published on Feb 12, 2018