Raipur, Dec 3 (NationPress) The South African cricket team will see the return of their captain Temba Bavuma as they gear up for the second ODI against India. Winning the toss, the visitors opted to bowl first at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Wednesday.

Alongside Bavuma, both Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi have been included in the playing eleven for this important match, as South Africa seeks to equalize the series after their 17-run defeat in the opening game held in Ranchi. The inclusion of these players results in the exclusion of Ryan Rickelton, Prenelan Subrayen, and Ottniel Baartman.

“We believe that as the dew sets in, batting will become more manageable. It’s challenging to predict how the pitch will behave. We have identified several positives from the previous match. A strong start is crucial; this is a significant game for us, presenting an opportunity to level the series,” he stated.

On the other hand, Indian captain KL Rahul confirmed that their team remains unchanged for the match in Raipur, where a victory would provide them a commanding lead in the series. “Honestly, the toss has been the most pressure I've faced. However, we performed admirably in the last match. They challenged us, and we are prepared for what lies ahead. We anticipated dew in all our venues. Our plan is to set a solid score and secure early wickets. The pitch looks promising,” he remarked.

The pitch dimensions reveal that the square boundaries are 67 metres, while the ones at third man and fine leg are shorter at 61m and 62m, respectively. The straight boundaries extend to 74 and 75 metres.

In his analysis, Shaun Pollock described the surface as uneven with patches and dry spots, suggesting it could produce a two-paced game, possibly affecting scoring rates. With the rough outfield likely aiding reverse swing and dew expected to play a role later in the match, Deep Dasgupta opined that batting second could be advantageous.

Playing XIs

India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (captain & wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna.

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (captain), Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, and Lungi Ngidi.