3 biggest positives for India from ODI series win vs South Africa
The young India white ball team, under the leadership of KL Rahul, went on to win the three-match series in the Rainbow Nation. The Men in Blue pocketed the series 2-1 after a dominating victory against the Proteas in the series decider by 78 runs.
With several first-choice players missing, the young Turks took the onus on themselves and ensured India won an ODI series in South Africa for only the second time in history. The No. 1 ODI team was all over South Africa in the opening game, thrashing the hosts by 8 wickets in a one-sided contest.
The pace department had very little experience coming into the ODI series but didn't fail to impress. While they got a reality check in the second ODI where the Proteas defeated them by 8 wickets, the young group of players bounced back strongly to post a convincing win in the decider.
With the ODI format not being that relevant in the next calendar year with the T20 World Cup around the corner, the fringe players should look to take it as an opportunity to cement their ODI spots and some of them surely have made a serious case for themselves.
ODI cricket will again gain significance in 2025, the year for the Champions Trophy slated to be played in Pakistan. Before that event, the likes of Sanju Samson, Sai Sudarshan, Arshdeep Singh, Rinku Singh and a few more will look to make themselves undroppable from the ODI squad.
Winning an ODI series in the Rainbow Nation is always a special achievement, but for a young team to come and express the way these Indian players have, they certainly deserve a lot of applause.
Let us have a look at 3 biggest positives for India from the ODI series win in South Africa:
# 1. Sai Sudharsan's exploits in his debut series
Sai Sudharsan almost broke the selection door with consistent performances and even in alien conditions in South Africa, he looked quite comfortable against pace and spin.
He scored back-to-back half-centuries in the first two matches to set up the series for India. Chasing 117, Sudharsan was clinical in the first ODI, scoring a fifty in his debut game and remained undefeated as India chased it down with more than 33 overs to spare.
He looked composed in the crease and his stroke play was out of the top draw. His defensive technique was evident during his county stint and it was on display, even during the first two ODIs.
Striding towards the ball and playing right under his eyes was a hallmark of Sudharsan's batsmanship. If he keeps working on his game with no apparent weakness in his batting, Sai could well go on to become the next big thing in Indian cricket.
# 2. Arshdeep Singh emerging as an impressive ODI bowler
Arshdeep came into the series with poor ODI numbers. He was yet to take a wicket in his first three ODIs, but everything changed as he got the new ball against South Africa at Johannesburg.
With swing and lateral movement on offer, Arshdeep was simply unplayable with the new ball and ripped apart the South African top order. There is no doubt about Arshdeep's quality, but when there is some movement on offer, Arshdeep can be as lethal as anyone with the white ball.
What was special about his performance in the series was his ability to generate seam movement even with the old ball. During the series decider, Arshdeep created different angles and changed his lengths to get his breakthroughs, especially with the old ball.
He ended the series with 10 wickets at an average of 9.50. Arshdeep's death over returns has come under scrutiny a bit, but he does have a good Yorker along with pace variations.
# 3. The Resurrection of Sanju Samson
While Samson boasts a very good ODI record, the sample size is smaller. However, he has all but cemented his spot in the ODI squad at least for the next few series with the century in the series decider against South Africa. Samson got off to a start in the second ODI but it was the same old issue as he was dismissed for 12.
However, in the decider at Paarl, Samson applied himself brilliantly and went on to score his maiden ODI century. The innings had class written all over it and this will certainly solve a few problems for India.
There was never a question mark regarding Samson's talent and his stroke-making abilities. However, he could never put up consistent performances to cement his place on the side. The century will give him immense confidence going into future ODI tournaments.