Ranchi, Nov 30 (NationPress) South Africa has won the toss and decided to bowl first against India in the opening match of the three-match ODI series at the JSCA International Stadium Complex.

The visitors are keen to maintain their momentum from the recently concluded Test series, while the home team views this as an opportunity to address doubts regarding their capabilities in limited-overs cricket. With injuries necessitating changes, India finds itself presented with a valuable chance to evaluate its depth in the 50-over format.

Despite having a relatively consistent batting lineup, India will have to adapt without Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer, paving the way for new combinations to emerge. Their last ODI performance in Australia featured stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, who are still the focal points of this format, ensuring that attention will be directed towards them throughout the series.

On the other hand, South Africa is eager to challenge India further. Although they faced defeat in their previous ODI series against Pakistan earlier this month, the return of several key players significantly strengthens their squad.

With Gill sidelined due to a neck injury sustained during the first Test in Kolkata, KL Rahul has been appointed to lead the Indian side. Meanwhile, Temba Bavuma, the regular captain for South Africa, is being rested, allowing Aiden Markram to take charge.

Upon winning the toss, acting skipper Markram commented on the team dynamics, stating, “We’ve spent some evenings discussing the dew factor at night, which will make batting easier. The dressing room is filled with energy and enthusiasm. This series is crucial as we prepare for the 2027 World Cup; we’re facing one of the best teams globally. We have just one spinner in Subrayen and I’ll bowl a bit as well, with Temba and Maharaj rested, and four seamers in our lineup today.”

In response, Indian captain Rahul expressed a similar desire to bowl first. He reflected on the team's mindset and strategy going into the match, saying, “Our preparation has been solid, and there’s a positive energy with many players returning. We aim to enjoy our time on the field. This is a prime opportunity to test our skills against a formidable team. We’ll feature three spinners and three pace bowlers today.”

Playing XIs:

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

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram (c), Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Prenelan Subrayen, Nandre Burger, Ottneil Baartman