India vs South Africa 2022, 2nd ODI: 3 observations following the loss

South Africa followed their 2-1 Test series win against India by pipping them 2-0 in the ongoing three-match ODI series. The hosts coasted to a seven-wicket victory at Boland Park on Friday (January 21) chasing India's 287 for 6.

It hasn't been the ideal start for KL Rahul as the stand-in skipper, though he did make some runs in the second ODI. That Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck just made things worse for the team considering their best efforts just breached the 280-mark in the day and age of 350+ totals.

The team will look to salvage a win as they head into the third ODI at Newlands on Sunday (January 23). Here are our observations from the second ODI.

---

#1 Where should KL Rahul bat for India in the 3rd ODI?

55 off 79 might not be a bad score to have for an opener, but having batted 10 overs as part of his game, surely KL Rahul could have looked at switching gears. This is something he does in T20 cricket effortlessly and also while batting lower down the order in ODI cricket.

Howstat suggests that while he's been successful as an opener, racking up 820 runs from 11 games, Rahul has been as good at No. 5, with 453 runs from 10 innings at a strike rate of 113.82 compared to 81.35 as an opener.

So perhaps KL Rahul in the middle can create space for Ishan Kishan and Shikhar Dhawan while Kohli, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Venkatesh Iyer form a formidable middle order.

---

#2 South Africa won the spin battle

Tabraiz Shamsi, Aiden Markram and Keshav Maharaj accounted for four of the six wickets the visitors lost on Friday. It was a similar story to the first ODI, with the spin department dismissing almost half the side. Whether it was India's inability to counter spin or just the hosts bowling well is debatable.

However, it's safe to say India's spin wasn't as effective when they collectively picked up two wickets from both games. The Proteas milked the tweakers during the middle overs, which was key to both their wins in the series.

---

#3 Promising Shardul Thakur is a long-term prospect

With scores of 50* and 40* along with a wicket, Shardul Thakur was one of the bright spots in an otherwise dull performance from the visitors.

Although he is a work in progress, Thakur's sustained energy levels, fitness and game awareness make him a long-term prospect.