IND vs SA 2022: 3 player battles to watch out for in 1st ODI

With a star-studded Indian team having already left for the T20 World Cup in Australia, the second-string side are ready to take on South Africa in a three-match ODI series. The first game will be played on Thursday, October 6, at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow.

One might argue that calling this team 'second-string' could be a bit harsh, given that they have whitewashed West Indies and Zimbabwe in the ODIs earlier this year.

The likes of Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, and Sanju Samson in the batting department, followed by Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Mohammed Siraj in the bowling department, prove that there's enough experience and match-winning ability in this team.

However, South Africa have named a full-strength side for the ODIs and it could certainly prove to be a stern test for the hosts. On that note, let's take a look at the three player battles to watch out for in the 1st ODI:

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#3 David Miller vs Kuldeep Yadav

David Miller is arguably one of the most in-form batters in the South African line-up and is fresh off a fantastic hundred in the T20I series. The Proteas need him to fire on all cylinders at the No.5 position. However, he may encounter Kuldeep Yadav in the middle overs, someone who has tasted a bit of success against the southpaw.

Kuldeep has conceded just 36 runs in the 47 deliveries that he has bowled to Miller in ODIs and has already dismissed him twice. But if he loops it up and invites Miller for a big shot, the latter surely won't hold back. So it is nicely set up to be a fascinating match-up.

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#2 Shreyas Iyer vs Anrich Nortje

Shreyas Iyer couldn't do much in his outing against South Africa in the third T20I as he was dismissed for just 1. The right-hander has been in and out of the Indian team and is set to travel to the T20 World Cup in Australia as a reserve. He will be desperate to get some runs under his belt before the showpiece event.

However, Iyer's issues against the short-ball have been well-documented and the Proteas will look to exploit that with Anrich Nortje's pace.

Nortje was rested for the third T20I and will be keen to make an impact in the first ODI. Although he hasn't dismissed Iyer yet, he will back his searing pace to cause problems for the Indian batter.

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#1 Shikhar Dhawan vs Kagiso Rabada

Stand-in Indian captain Shikhar Dhawan has arguably been one of the modern-day greats of ODI cricket and continues to be backed by the team management as their first-choice opener for next year's ODI World Cup.

The southpaw has looked a bit rusty whenever he has made a comeback in international cricket after a decent gap. So it will be interesting to see how he performs against a potent South African pace attack, especially against Kagiso Rabada.

Dhawan has scored 127 runs in 133 balls that he has faced from Rabada in ODIs, which is quite impressive. However, the speedster has dismissed the opener four times. It will be interesting to see which way this matchg-up goes in the first ODI.