India vs South Africa 2015, 4th ODI: Preview, Team News, Live stream and TV Channel Info
In what has been a tantalizing ODI series so far, South Africa took a giant stride towards sealing the series with a close victory over India in Rajkot. As both teams travel down south to Chennai, the hosts have plenty of work on their hands if they are to head to Mumbai to play the final ODI with the scoreline at 2-2.
After India’s bowlers restricted the visitors to 270 on a docile surface, the batsmen were stifled as they began to approach the target. Despite being comfortably placed at one point, MS Dhoni’s men were thwarted by the efficiency of the Protea bowlers. Despite scoring a half-century, his first since the Pakistan encounter at the 2015 World Cup, Virat Kohli’s scratchy form is hurting his team’s confidence in chasing significant scores.
Meanwhile, AB de Villiers’ side has shown incredible resolve throughout the tour with their superior bowling attack swinging close contests in their favour. While Kagiso Rabada won the last-over standoff in Kanpur, Morne Morkel sunk the home team with his steep angle and awkward pace at Rajkot. As the batting unit is considerably top-heavy, JP Duminy’s absence from the remainder of the series could pose a serious challenge to the team management.
Following the loss, Dhoni had mused, “I don't think we got enough runs in the first ten, especially the fact that the wicket kept getting slower. And 30th to 40th was again a crucial period. We wanted to bat quite late but at the same time we started playing the big shots close to the 37th over but we were not really able to connect.”
On the other hand, De Villiers was satisfied with Miller’s performance at the top of the order. He had stated, “He is a very positive player. I like him up the order with the new hard ball in India. It gives myself, Hashim and Francois an opportunity to bat against the spinners in the middle overs.”
Broadcast Details
TV Channel: Star Sports 1, HD1 (English) and 3, HD3 (Hindi)
Online Stream: www.starsports.com
Date: October 22, Thursday
Time: 13:30 IST | 10:00 SAST
Venue: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai
For any other updates regarding the match, follow the Sportskeeda website.
Team News
India
The selectors have replaced the wayward Umesh Yadav with left-arm seamer Sreenath Aravind. However, it is unlikely that he would be used in Chennai. With Ajinkya Rahane struggling to justify his position in the team, when he is not batting in the Top 3, Ambati Rayudu's return to the playing eleven cannot be ruled out. Dhoni would want to persist with the same bowling combination of 3 spinners and 2 seamers.
South Africa
With JP Duminy ruled out of the ODI series due to a hand laceration, South Africa’s balance has already been dented. Dean Elgar was named as his replacement. But, the think-tank might hand a debut to uncapped lower-order batsman Khaya Zondo who can also bowl useful off-breaks. Chris Morris is in the frame too if the tourists want to field 5 genuine bowling options. Because of sore legs, Morne Morkel is also doubtful for the match.
Possible Line-ups
India XI
Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane/ Ambati Rayudu, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni (C & Wk), Axar Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra, Mohit Sharma
South Africa XI
Quinton De Kock (Wk), David Miller, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, AB De Villiers (C), Farhaan Behardien, Khaya Zondo/Chris Morris, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel/ Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir
Pitch & Conditions
Another hot and humid is expected in Chennai. With temperatures oscillating between 26-36° C, it would not be a surprise if both captains desire to bat first. Usually, the pitch at the MA Chidambaram stadium is conducive for the slow bowlers. There are numerous cracks for the spinners to take advantage of, on what could be a sluggish surface. The impact of dew appears to be minimal.
Recent Form
India: L-W-L-W-W
South Africa: W-L-W-W-L
Key Stats
- Team India needs only one victory to get to 450 ODI wins.
- South Africa have never won a bilateral ODI series against India in India.
- Amit Mishra is just 2 short of reaching 50 ODI wickets.
- Hashim Amla needs 22 runs to become the fastest batsmen to complete 6000 ODI runs.
- MS Dhoni requires 2 more stumpings to draw level with Kumar Sangakkara who leads the chart with 139 stumpings across all formats of international cricket.