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South Africa won the first ODI against India by 31 runs and it was a pretty comfortable win in the end. India continued to make the same mistakes that it has been making for the last few years and its dependence on runs from the top-3 continued to be the cause of its failure. There were a lot of positives for South Africa to take from the first match and a lot to think about for India.
The cricket betting sites are still favoring India to win and this seems to be another good betting opportunity for the dispassionate cricket lover. Let us have a look at the two teams in detail and find the best betting opportunities.
RSA VS IND TEAM PREVIEWS
SOUTH AFRICA
Temba Bavuma described his team as having played the perfect game. There is no doubt that there were some positives to be taken, we are not sure if we would go as far as calling it the perfect match. For one, Temba Bavuma was himself responsible for eating up a lot of deliveries. South Africa got to 296 and that is no longer a match-winning total in ODI cricket. In fact, it looked for quite a while that the score would end up being at least 30 runs short.
Janneman Malan and Aiden Markram looked iffy and David Miller did not get enough time in the middle. Rassie van der Dussen played a fantastic knock and the manner in which he attacked the spinners bodes very well for him in these remaining matches. He would be our pick for the Top Batsman South Africa betting market in this match as well.
South Africa’s batting is strong but it is not without its weaknesses and we don’t think they are going to be able to get away with scoring just a par total too many times.
The bowling attack for South Africa seemed to lack that bite needed. They opened with Aiden Markram who was given a surprising amount of respect from the Indian batsmen. That is unlikely to happen again. Also, the seam-bowling resources are quite weak. Marco Jansen, Lungi Ngidi, and Andile Phehlukwayo are not going to give the Indian batsmen too much to worry about on pitches as slow as what we saw in Paarl.
Tabraiz Shamsi and Keshav Maharaj bowled luckily and exploited the conditions to their advantage but we don’t think they really got wickets by being better than the Indian batsmen. They were on the receiving end of some extremely poor batting.
Harsh as it may seem, South Africa’s performance was far from perfect. It needs the likes of Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram to really make an impact in this next match otherwise its bowling will struggle to keep the Indian batting in check.
INDIA
India started the match well with the ball but then did not pick up enough wickets in the middle-overs. We think the Indian team would have been reasonably happy with chasing 296. The pitch did not have any demons and the bowling was average at best. This is where the Indian batsmen have to take responsibility for the loss.
KL Rahul did not get going and both Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli got out when they had the South African bowling at their mercy. From a betting viewpoint, you just cannot look beyond the top-3 for the Top Batsman India betting market.
It was a poor effort lacking in the intensity that is usually associated with the team. Also, the middle-order for India continues to be a huge mess. Rishab Pant, Shreyas Iyer, and Venkatesh Iyer batted at 4,5, and 6 respectively. We think this is at least one position too high for Venkatesh Iyer and Rishab Pant. India cannot afford to play with Iyer as a pure batsman and if he is not good enough or fit enough to bowl then his place in the team merits discussion.
Someone like Suryakumar Yadav is sitting out of the team when India is struggling to find a good middle-order player. Even Ashwin as a spinner in ODI cricket is a poor choice. He is just not picking up enough wickets in the middle and is a liability with the bat. India’s tail is just too long and the middle-order problem is far from being sorted.
The bowling attack looked quite average in the first match. Jasprit Bumrah was the only bowler that seemed likely to take a wicket. Here as well, we would love to see Deepak Chahar or Navdeep Saini being given a run in the team to help add some wicket-taking ability. Selection issues have plagued Indian cricket for quite some time now and we don’t think wholesale changes will be made in this match either.
SOUTH AFRICA VS INDIA MATCH DETAILS:
Match: South Africa vs India, 1st ODI, South Africa vs India ODI Series.
Date and Time: January 21st 2022, Friday; 02:00 PM IST.
Venue: Boland Park, Paarl.
PITCH REPORT
The pitch at Boland Park is good for batting. Once set, batters can play their strokes freely. However, the new-ball bowlers should get some early swing, making life difficult for batters early on.
WEATHER FORECAST
The temperature in Paarl on match day is expected to range between 22 and 40 degrees Celsius. There is no rain predicted on Friday, so a full game should ensue.
PROBABLE XI SOUTH AFRICA
Temba Bavuma (110) and Rassie van der Dussen (129*) displayed a batting masterclass in the first ODI. Lungi Ngidi, Tabraiz Shamsi and Andile Phehlukwayo picked up two wickets apiece as South Africa defended their total successfully.
INDIA
Jasprit Bumrah picked up two wickets, but the other bowlers failed to complement his efforts as South Africa put up a tall total. Shikhar Dhawan (79), Virat Kohli (51) and Shardul Thakur (50) scored fifties, but couldn’t take their team over the line.
MATCH PREDICTION
South Africa lead the series after winning the first game comprehensively. Indian bowlers struggled in the first game, so they need to be on their toes in the second game to level the series.The hosts, meanwhile, will look to seal the series with a game to spare.
However, South Africa have a good balance to their side. Moreover, with winning momentum behind them, expect them to win again on Friday and seal the series.
Prediction: SOUTH AFRICA TO WIN THE SECOND ODI ON FRIDAY.
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