FANTASY
Follow UsAfter an enthralling three-match Test series, we are here at Paarl, for the first of the three ODIs that would kick both team’s long preparations for the 2023 ODI World Cup. While India have an automatic qualification for the showpiece event, the same can not be said about South Africa.
South Africa find themselves lingering at the bottom half of the table, on ninth place, having just nicked 39 points from ten ODIs where they have just won the three. Even though this series doesn't fall under the purview of the ODI Super League, the challenge for the Proteas is plenty, especially against an Indian side.
Head-to-Head
Overall: 85 | India 35 | South Africa 46 | No Result 4
Last Five matches | India 3 | South Africa 1 | No Result 1
Ground Details and Team Combination
Boland Park isn’t the ideal venue for batters, with an average score of just 244 batting first across the 26 innings. Teams batting first though, have historically had an upper hand, with seven wins, with five wins for the team batting second. Toss plays a vital role, with 53.8% of the captains winning the toss ultimately end up on the winning side of things.
Like other venues in the country, Boland Park is also pace-dominant, with 108 out of the 144 wickets taken by pacers (75%), with an average of 5.4 wickets/innings. While there might be some assistance for spinners, with 36 wickets, at 1.8 wickets/innings, do not expect the teams to field more than one spinner in the setup.
Suggested Team
The team we've picked has a mix of quality batters and bowlers. But remember, while you could go for the above team, you also have the option of choosing your team from Cricket.com’s Fantasy Research Centre. You can use this tool to build your team with the help of algorithms. Then, based on your preferences, the platform will guide you through creating the ideal fantasy XI.
Captain Selection
Janneman Malan’s form is such that it is tough to ignore him. The 25-year-old opener has smashed open the ODI nut, with 509 runs in 2021, scoring two fifties and two centuries, including averaging 84.33. While his record at Paarl in ODIs isn’t the most ideal of ones, Criclytics predicts that the opener would score 39-59 runs in the first ODI against India
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Malan to score 39-59 runs
X-Factors
In Rohit Sharma’s absence, the onus of not just the leadership but also the run-scoring responsibilities will be KL Rahul’s shoulders. As an opener, Rahul’s record in ODI is stunning, with 808 runs opening the batting, averaging close to 50. His ability to not just weather the storm but also to take the attack to the bowling unit makes him extremely dangerous. Expect Rahul to come out storming against South Africa, an opponent against whom he hasn’t played a whole lot of ODI cricket.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Rahul to score 36-54 runs
Venkatesh Iyer has just played three T20Is for India but the expectations around him has been colossal. While Indian skipper KL Rahul hasn’t yet revealed India’s playing XI, there is a high chance that Iyer would be one of the first names on the list. His performance from the Vijay Hazare Trophy should be enough to make him one of the X-factors.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts Iyer to score 29-43 runs and pick 0-1 wickets
Quinton de Kock’s return to the South African setup is well-anticipated. Not just that, his performance in 2021 is exceptional, scoring 220 runs in just three innings, at 73.33 while still striking the ball at 112.82. He in fact has been one of the most consistent of South African batters, with five 700+ run season since his debut in 2013.
Our Criclytics Player Projector predicts de Kock to score 42-64 runs
Player match-up
David Miller is deadly dangerous but his record against Yuzvendra Chahal has been pretty ordinary. The leg-spinner has dismissed the left-hander thrice, striking at 20.67, making it an interesting battle to look forward to.
Predicted XI
Predicted Indian XI: Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul (C), Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Venkatesh Iyer, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal
Predicted South African XI: Janneman Malan, Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma, Rassie van der Dussen, Quinton de Kock, David Miller, Dwaine Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi