RAIPUR, India — South African captain Temba Bavuma won the crucial coin toss and elected to field first in the second ODI against India on Wednesday, extending India’s remarkable streak of lost tosses to twenty consecutive matches. This statistical anomaly places additional pressure on the Indian team as they seek to clinch the three-match series following their narrow 17-run victory in the opening contest at Ranchi.
The series opener saw Virat Kohli’s masterful 52nd international century propel India to a competitive 349-8, setting the stage for a dramatic bowling performance that ultimately contained South Africa at 332 despite a formidable middle-order resistance. The Proteas, reeling at 3-11 during the powerplay, mounted a spectacular comeback through aggressive half-centuries from Matthew Breetzke, Marco Jansen, and Corbin Bosch before succumbing to the Indian attack.
South Africa implemented strategic roster adjustments, welcoming back captain Bavuma who replaced Ryan Rickelton after the latter’s disappointing first-match dismissal. The bowling department saw significant reinforcements with left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj replacing off-spinner Prenelan Subrayen, while pace bowler Lungi Ngidi took over from Ottneil Baartman, signaling a calculated shift toward experienced campaigners.
India maintained consistency by retaining their entire playing eleven, offering redemption opportunities for Ruturaj Gaikwad and Washington Sundar at fourth and fifth batting positions respectively after both failed to deliver significant contributions in the previous encounter.
Indian skipper Lokesh Rahul humorously acknowledged the toss dilemma, stating: ‘I’ve been practicing the coin call extensively, but unfortunately the results haven’t materialized. Honestly, the toss presents the most pressure-packed moment for me currently.’ He further elaborated on tactical considerations: ‘Dew factors significantly in these conditions—our bowling unit has developed specific strategies to counter this challenge.’
The match features identical lineups from both sides, with India fielding Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Gaikwad, Sundar, Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Prasidh Krishna. South Africa’s roster includes Aiden Markram, Quinton de Kock, Bavuma, Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Jansen, Bosch, Maharaj, Nandre Burger, and Ngidi.