After the completion of an evenly contested Test series, South Africa and India are set to square off in a 6-ODI series. But before the series could commence, the hosts have been hit with a bad news as their star batsman AB de Villiers has been ruled out of the first 3 ODIs.
AB had suffered an injury to his right index finger in the final Test in Johannesburg. As per medical evaluation, the Mr. 360 will be out of action for 2 weeks and hence, he will miss the first half of the ODI series. The selectors haven’t announced any replacement for AB de Villiers and he is expected to be back in the team for the 4th ODI at the Wanderers.
The ODI series is set to begin with the first game to be played in Durban. The visitors have gained momentum after their win in the final Test. Virat Kohli and his men had lost the first 2 Tests after finding themselves in winning situations and on both occasions, the hosts stepped up to snatch the victories. But in the last Test, India managed to churn out a win and they will carry the momentum in the limited overs series too.
AB’s absence will be a big blow for the Proteas as he is the in-form batsman and a massive contributor in ODI cricket. The right-hander consistently scored runs in the Test series on difficult surfaces and he would have been an even bigger threat in the ODIs. India would fancy their chances of winning their first bilateral ODI series in the Rainbow Nation.
South Africa’s ODI squad for the first 3 ODIs against India
Faf du Plessis (C), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock, JP Duminy, Imran Tahir, Aiden Markram, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Lungisani Ngidi, Andile Phehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Khayelihle Zondo.
Fixtures for the ODI series
February 1: 1st ODI, Durban
February 4: 2nd ODI, Centurion
February 7: 3rd ODI, Cape Town
February 10: 4th ODI, Johannesburg
February 13: 5th ODI, Port Elizabeth
February 16: 6th ODI, Centurion
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