South Africa vs India Prediction: India humiliated South Africa in first game

South Africa and India are going head to head in the 2nd Match of One Day Series at St George's Oval on 19 Dec 2023. India humiliated South Africa on all fronts to win the first game of the series and are leading it by 1-0. Who will win this game of cricket?

South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first on a pitch that slightly favored the bowlers with some movement, although nothing extraordinary. It was disappointing to witness their collapse, resulting in their lowest ODI total at home, and the lack of a competitive fight. As anticipated, the team featured several new players, and their batting appeared weak. Nonetheless, South Africa's lineup possesses enough depth to recover from early setbacks, particularly with Andile Phehlukwayo showcasing his skills as the leading run-scorer in the previous match. We don't believe there will be an immediate change in the batting order after just one poor performance. While Markram, Klaasen, and Miller remain the key contributors to the batting lineup, de Zorzi displayed promise, and having depth in batting is definitely an advantage. We can expect a better batting performance in the second match. Considering their unimpressive total to defend, it is unfair to judge South Africa's bowlers based on the previous match. Although they possess two excellent spin-bowling options, the absence of the Test attack for this series leaves the seam attack somewhat weak.

Reeza Hendricks, Tony de Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram (c), Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lizaad Williams, Ottniel Bartman

Shreyas Iyer will not be able to participate in the remaining matches of the series due to being rested in preparation for the upcoming test series. This absence will result in a change in the lineup, potentially allowing Rinku Singh to make his ODI debut. KL Rahul did a commendable job as the leader and his selection of players from the available squad was satisfactory. The Indian batting lineup appears to be strong, with Ruturaj Gaikwad performing well in ODIs and Sai Sudharsan making an impressive debut. With Iyer unavailable, it is likely that Tilak Varma will move up to the number three position and KL Rahul may take the number four spot. Sanju Samson and Rinku Singh have the potential to form a dynamic lower-middle order. Due to limited all-round options, Axar Patel is forced to bat at number seven, with minimal batting strength to follow. Arshdeep Singh and Avesh Khan showcased impressive performances in the previous match, taking advantage of favorable conditions. They may experience similar conditions in Gqeberha, where the ball tends to move unpredictably. The Indian squad lacks significant pace, requiring Axar Patel to make adjustments to succeed in South Africa. Although India's bowling displayed strength in the previous match, it remains their weakest aspect. We anticipate Kuldeep Yadav to consistently pose a threat to the South African batsmen.

Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sai Sudharsan, Shreyas Iyer, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (C)(wk), Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, Avesh Khan, Arshdeep Singh

The team that wins the coin toss is likely to prefer batting first. Both teams prefer to set a high score and rely on their bowlers to create pressure. The conditions are expected to remain stable throughout the match, so winning the toss does not provide a significant advantage. There is no rain predicted for match day, ensuring an uninterrupted contest. St. George's Park recently provided an excellent batting surface for a T20 international, and it is expected to be the same for this contest. There will likely be a lot of runs, sixes, and some extra bounce for the bowlers. Our prediction is that South Africa will level the series. The odds heavily favor India, but we believe the South African batting strength is underestimated. We recommend taking advantage of absurd odds and placing a bet on South Africa to win.