2nd ODI: India look to take advantage of South Africa's injury woes
Cricket | February 04, 2018 0:16 ISTThe visitors won their first-ever ODI against South Africa at Durban on Thursday by six wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the six-match series.
The visitors won their first-ever ODI against South Africa at Durban on Thursday by six wickets and took a 1-0 lead in the six-match series.
Prior to this series, Rahane was being dubbed as the reserve opener as team management experimented with a number of batsmen at that position but things have changed after his half-century in the opening game coming at number four.
In a surprising move, the 23-year-old batsman was named the captain for the remaining five ODIs against India owing to Faf du Plessis withdrawal due to a finger injury.
The 23-year old Markram has led South Africa to Under-19 World Cup triumph in 2014 and has been widely regarded as a future captain.
The 26-year-old was previously named in England's squad for the Twenty20 tri-series against Australia and New Zealand but remained in England pending his court appearance.
Du Plessis said that the conditions were a bit slower and suited the Men in Blue quite well as the batting line-up hammered away after the Proteas set up an easy target of 270 for the Virat Kohli led Team India.
The Indian skipper has often faced criticism for changing playing elevens in Test matches, but Brearley backed him, saying it was "extraordinary".
Kohli scored 112 off 119 balls with the help of 10 boundaries and put on 189-run stand for the third-wicket with Ajinkya Rahane (79 runs of 86 balls) as India chased down the target of 270 with 4.3 overs to spare.
The Indian captain notched up his 33rd ODI hundred and once again justified his tag of 'world's best chaser' with yet another superlative knock in the first ODI against South Africa in Durban.
In the seventh over of South Africa's innings, India skipper Virat Kohli hurt his left knee while fielding at mid-off. During the slide, Virat's knee got stuck into the dampish outfield.
Markram, 23, will bat at number four for de Villiers who has been ruled out of the first three ODIs due to a finger injury.
The 33-year old is expected to be fit for the fourth match of the series, the pink ODI at the Wanderers, for which he is one of the ambassadors.
The first ODI of the six-match series between India and South Africa will be played at the Kingsmead Oval, Durban on Thursday.
India are on a two-month long tour of Rainbow nation and have just finished a gruelling three-Test series, the visitors are scheduled to play six ODIs and three T20Is starting on February 1.
On Tuesday, BCCI's official Twitter handle posted some pictures from the practice session in Durban where the likes of MS Dhoni, Shreyas Iyer and Kedar Jadhav are seen in action.
Under Smith's leadership, Australia have won just two out of 13 one-day internationals in the past 12 months, but the skipper has quashed any talk of giving up ODI captaincy.
Spinner Moeen Ali chipped in with 3/55, which included a spectacular one-handed return catch to dismiss hard-hitting all-rounder Mitch Marsh for 13.
Despite losing seven wickets in the run chase, the hosts cruised to victory with 13 overs to spare on the back of a masterful display from Head, who missed his second ODI hundred by four runs.
South Africa have also named two leg-spinners in the squad with orthodox Imran Tahir pairing up with chinaman Tabraiz Shamsi.
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