Toss India chose to bowl against
Shikhar Dhawan chose to chase in a rain-reduced first ODI against South Africa in Lucknow. The toss was delayed by two-and-a-half hours after persistent showers, and the ODI has been reduced to a 40-overs-a-side contest, with each bowler allowed a maximum of eight overs.
India have opted for only five bowling options, with two specialist spinners in Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi, on ODI debut, and no space for T20 World Cup hopeful Deepak Chahar. There was also no room for Rajat Patidar or Rahul Tripathi, but Ruturaj Gaikwad has been handed his first ODI cap.
Wayne Parnell has been preferred over Andile Phehlukwayo in the allrounder’s role. South Africa also went in with both specialist spinners, Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi, and their first-choice quicks, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi, in search of World Cup Super League points.
South Africa are in 11th on the points table, and at risk of not automatically qualifying for the 2023 World Cup.
India: 1 Shikhar Dhawan (capt), 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 4 Ishan Kishan, 5 Shreyas Iyer, 6 Sanju Samson (wk), 7 Shardul Thakur, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 Ravi Bishnoi, 10 Mohammed Siraj, Avesh Khan
South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Temba Bavuma (capt), 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada 10 Lungi Ngidi, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi