Last Updated on 3 weeks by Charbel Coorey

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If you needed a picture of what the cricketing world looks like, here is one. India will play an ODI on the same day their T20 World Cup squad flies to Australia in their quest for glory. Quite remarkable.

The ODI Super League, hampened by postponed matches due to COVID-19, has meant that one dayers such as this series has been crammed into an already packed schedule. South Africa currently sit 11th in the standings, and Temba Bavuma’s team need to view this series as an opportunity to make up ground. If they win 3-0, they will leapfrog West Indies into eighth place, but it is vital they focus on Lucknow first.

For the hosts India in particular, this three-match duel is a chance for those on the fringes to stake their claim once again. This is particularly the case for Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson, who, despite their potential, have fallen down the pecking order.

IND vs SA 1st ODI Possible Playing XI

Shikhar Dhawan will captain the team, with Shreyas Iyer named vice captain. Rajat Patidar, Mukesh Kumar and Shahbaz Ahmed were called up to the squad. Details here.

Expect Shahbaz Ahmed to play the role of left-arm spinning all-rounder at number seven. Ravi Bishnoi may win the wristspin position ahead of Kuldeep Yadav, unless India play two.

India: 1. Shikhar Dhawan (c), 2. Shubman Gill, 3. Rahul Tripathi/Ruturaj Gaikwad, 4. Ishan Kishan, 5. Shreyas Iyer, 6. Sanju Samson (wk), 7. Shahbaz Ahmed, 8. Shardul Thakur, 9. Deepak Chahar, 10. Ravi Bishnoi/Kuldeep Yadav, 11. Mohammed Siraj/Avesh Khan

South Africa will also have one eye on the T20 World Cup, but they could name a strong XI with ODI Super League points a must. However, they may look to rest the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje.

South Africa: 1. Quinton de Kock (wk), 2. Janneman Malan, 3. Temba Bavuma (c), 4. Aiden Markram, 5. Heinrich Klaasen, 6. David Miller, 7. Wayne Parnell, 8. Andile Phehlukwayo/Dwaine Pretorius, 9. Keshav Maharaj, 10. Lungi Ngidi, 11. Tabraiz Shamsi

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Key Players to Watch/Key Stats

India:

• Watch out for Shubman Gill. The classy right-hander has made a great start to his ODI career, with 499 runs in nine matches at an average of 71.28 and strike rate of 105.27.
• Also, Gill struck scores of 92, 22, 11 and 119 in County cricket last month.
• Shikhar Dhawan has a terrific ODI record vs South Africa. The left-hander has struck nine 50+ scores in 20 innings, including three hundreds. Overall numbers: 20 inns, 967 runs, avg. 50.89, SR 94.80.
• Ishan Kishan will be after a big series. He struck 50 in his last knock, against Zimbabwe in August. Also, despite his average of 28.80 after five ODI knocks so far, he does have two fifties to his name.
• Sanju Samson is striking at 101.14 in his short ODI career so far, so he could play a key role as finisher. The keeper-batsman recently struck scores of 29*, 37 and 54 for India A against New Zealand A.
• Kuldeep Yadav took seven wickets in three matches for India A against New Zealand A last month. He conceded just 4.08 per over and averaged 14.57 runs per wicket. Also, Kuldeep has taken 18 wickets in just seven ODIs vs South Africa (avg. 15.66).
• If picked, Deepak Chahar will be key against the SA top order. He dismissed Temba Bavuma twice in the recent T20I series. Also, Chahar provides batting depth – he smashed 54 off 34 balls in his last ODI innings vs South Africa.

South Africa:

• Quinton de Kock vs India in ODIs: 16 inns, 1,013 runs, avg. 53.31, SR 92.59. This includes an incredible six centuries.
• Can Temba Bavuma find some form in ODIs? He scored a century against India back in January. Also, he averages 45.12 after 19 ODIs, so he is far more comfortable in this format.
• Aiden Markram (183 runs, avg. 22.87) and David Miller (373 runs, avg. 21.94) will both be looking to improve their ODI records against India. Miller recently struck a memorable century in the T20Is.
• Lungi Ngidi has taken 13 wickets in seven ODIs vs India. He is a contender for wickets in this match, particularly at the death with his slower balls into the wicket.
• Andile Phehlukwayo took the most wickets in the SA-IND ODI series earlier this year (6) at an average of 18.33 and economy of 5.50. Tabraiz Shamsi took four wickets in two matches in that same series.

Other Stats and Facts

• Head-to-head: Matches 87, India 35, South Africa 49, N/R 3.
• South Africa beat India 3-0 in South Africa back in January.
• India have played 13 ODIs this year, winning nine of them. South Africa have won five of their eight completed matches.

Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium Lucknow Pitch Report and Weather

This will be the fourth ODI at Lucknow. The previous three were between West Indies and Afghanistan in 2019, where spinners played a key role. The average first innings score in that series was 230, and a slowish wicket may await the players in this match.

Humid conditions are forecast with a chance of thunderstorms right throughout the day and evening. So, expect the captain who wins the toss to choose to chase.

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IND vs SA 1st ODI Dream11 Prediction 6 October 2022

Note: The below teams are not based on the final playing XIs. We may not be able to update these in time. Use the stats and commentary in this article as well as your own instincts to create your teams.

Option 1:

Option 2:

Fan2Play Prediction

Base Team:

• Wicket-Keepers: Quinton de Kock
• Batsmen: Shubman Gill, Shikhar Dhawan, David Miller
• All-Rounders: Shardul Thakur
• Bowlers: Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi

IND vs SA 1st ODI Match Prediction: Who Will Win?

Weather permitting, the chasing team is likely to win this clash.

Disclaimer: Links in this article are part of a sponsorship for the 2022 T20 World Cup where CricBlog has received a fee.