India vs South Africa 1st ODI: IND take on SA in the 1ST ODI of a three-match series that starts in Lucknow before moving to Ranchi and Delhi.
A fresh-looking Indian team, led by Shikhar Dhawan, will aim to make a statement and prepare for next year's 50-over World Cup, when the three-match ODI series against South Africa begins on Thursday. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin, India will field a second-line squad, who will be leaving for Australia for the T20 World Cup. This has made room for a new squad that includes the new names of Mukesh Kumar and Rajat Patidar.
The team also includes some T20 World Cup reserve players. Middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer will act as Dhawan’s deputy in the series. Right-arm seamer Deepak Chahar and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, other players in the standby list, have also been included in the ODI squad for the matches against South Africa. He will definitely find a place in the lineup before leaving for Australia.
