India Tour Of South Africa | KL Rahul Led Team India To Field First As SA Opts To Bat
KL Rahul will lead Team India (Twitter)
In a strategic move, South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first against India in the opening ODI at the New Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on December 17. With the thrilling T20 series ending in a 1-1 draw, both teams are geared up for the ODIs.
The decision to bat indicates South Africa's confidence in their batting lineup, aiming to restrict India's bowling prowess.
Playing XI:
India Playing XI : B Sai Sudharsan, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, Lokesh Rahul (c&wk), Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson (wk), Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar
South Africa Playing XI : Tony de Zorzi, Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Tabraiz Shamsi
Captain's Thoughts:
Aiden Markram: "We are going to bat first. It's a used wicket so we would like to bat first. We are playing with two spinners. Nandre Burger is making his debut. Yeah, it's a fantastic day [pink day]. Believe it's sold out once again. So hats off to the people that are going to pull in today and hopefully both teams can put on a nice show for them. Yeah, I think it's great in a sense because you get to create that pool of depth a bit deeper and it's an opportunity for guys to get experience in a sold-out venue against a good opposition. So I think it's good for us."
KL Rahul: "No, not really. Yes, great to be here. Special day. Watched a lot on TV. The pink ODI is special. Yes, we would have batted first. Same pitch as the T20S. So, now got to bowl well and hit the right areas. Sai Sudharsan is making his debut. Many guys who have done well in IPL are playing here. Ruturaj, Sanju, Kuldeep, Axar and the likes. Yes, the IPL gives a tremendous exposure to these guys to do well and they are confident in performing."
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