India tour to South Africa 2020 [Preview]

South Africa to scheduled to tour India in the month of March to play three match one-day series. Hosts India will be looking to bounce back strongly after suffering a humiliating clean sweep at the hands of New Zealand. Indian Captain Virat Kohli will be hoping that the side can make amends for their mistakes made in the previous series and will be looking to maintain their proud record at home.

For India, all-rounder Hardik Pandya, opener Shikhar Dhawan and pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar for the one-day series. Rohit Sharma is one notable absentee from the squad as he not yet fully recovered from calf injuring during T20I series played in New Zealand. Shubham Gill has named as reserve opener, while Mayank Agarwal has been dropped from the side.

In the batting department, the side will be relying on the likes of Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan, Lokesh Rahul to deliver the bulk of the runs. Since August 2019, Kohli has topped the batting charts for India in the limited-overs cricket. He has accumulated 581 runs in 12 innings with two centuries and four half-centuries to his name.

Lokesh Rahul has flourished in his role as a finisher in the limited-overs squad. Since August 2018, Rahul has accumulated 535 runs at an average of 66.87 with two centuries and three half-centuries to his name.

Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya and Manish Pandey are players that will make up the middle-order for India for this one-day series. All-rounder Hardik Pandya will definitely bolster the overall squad and will bring balance to the side due to capabilities with bat and ball.

In the bowling department, pacer Mohammad Shami has topped the bowling charts for India in limited-overs cricket since August 2019. In 10 matches, Shami has completed 17 wickets at an average of 30.41.

Besides Shami, Jaspreet Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Hardik Pandya are the other prominent pace options for the side.In the spin department, Ravendra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal will be three front-line spinners for this three-match ODI series.

On the other hand, South Africa will be looking to continue their winning streak in white-ball cricket. Quinton de Kock and co. put in splendid performance to inflict a 3-0 whitewash over Southern Hemisphere rivals Australia in the three-match one-day series played at home.

Surprisingly, middle-order batsman Heinrich Klaasen was the standout performer for the side with the bat in the previous one-day series against Australia. Besides Klaasen, rookie opener Janneman Malan also scored his maiden century in limited-overs cricket to help South Africa clinch the one-day series.

The responsibility will also be on the experienced batting trio of Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen to deliver the bulk of the runs. Despite not doing that well against Australia, captain and wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock will be looking to lead from the front and deliver runs for the side at the top of the innings.

In the bowling department, the pace trio of Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and Beauran Hendricks will need to make early inroads with the new-ball. Keshav Maharaj and uncapped George Linde are two spinners for the side for this one-day series.

The one-day series between India and South Africa is expected to a closely contested one.