India and South Africa will clash in the third and final ODI of the series this Saturday on December 06, at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The series tied at 1-1, it becomes a must-win game for both teams. Fans would always expect this as a closely contested game, with both sides showing immense strengths to date.

 

India

 

India will enter the final ODI with a confident batting unit. The biggest positive for them has been the form of Virat Kohli, who has scored back-to-back centuries at Ranchi and Raipur. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma has played essential knocks at the top, which gave India good starts. KL Rahul furthered his experience in the middle order, adding stability to the well-rounded Indian batting lineup.

 

As far as bowling is concerned, India will seek more consistency. The fast bowlers did a good job in Ranchi, but in Raipur, they couldn't defend a big score. Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja, the two spinners, will be very key on the Visakhapatnam pitch that helps spinners as the game progresses. India will need early wickets to put pressure on South Africa.

 

Fielding too will be very important for India. Dropped chances and misfields in Raipur cost them dear, and the team will aim to make amends on this front. As the series is at stake, India will have to be at their all-round best to seal the decider, and a lot will depend upon how their experienced players handle these moments of pressure.

 

South Africa

 

South Africa will thus come into this match with great momentum after their record chase in Raipur. Aiden Markram has been in top form, and his century in the second ODI once again proved why he is one of the most essential players in the side. Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis have also risen to the occasion, making the South African top order strong and fearless.

 

And their middle order has shown much maturity, especially while chasing big totals, with the Proteas showing that they can keep calm under pressure and build strong partnerships. Another solid start from the top order, and the visitors will feel confident of putting up or chasing down a competitive score on the batting-friendly Visakhapatnam pitch.

 

In the bowling department, South Africa will be looking to tighten up after leaking plenty of runs in the first innings in Raipur. Their pacers do have the skill to trouble India’s batters with early movement, while later in the game, their spinners will come into effect too. The main aim for South Africa will be to pick wickets in the middle overs in order to stop India from getting another big total.

 

IND vs SA 3rd ODI Match Details

 

IND vs SA ODI Match Details
Match	India vs South Africa 3rd ODI Match
Date and Time	Saturday, December 6; 1:30 p.m. IST
Venue	Dr. Y.S. Rajashekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Vishakapatnam
Broadcasting and live streaming	TV - Star Sports Network, Live Stream - JioHotstar

 

IND vs SA 3rd ODI Pitch Report

 

The ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium pitch is pretty batting-friendly during the first half of a match, as the ball comes nicely onto the bat, and the stroke play becomes facile. As the game progresses, the pitch slows down and starts assisting the spinners. The average first-innings score here is around 233, but in modern ODI cricket, teams often cross 300 on this ground. Winning the toss, a team might look to bowl first and chase under the lights when the pitch gets slightly better to bat on.

 

IND vs SA 3rd ODI Weather Report

 

The conditions will be overcast with light rain around the start of the match. The temperature, though, is unlikely to drop much, hovering around 26°C with a relatively higher humidity. There is a 50% chance of rain, which can delay the game at short intervals or pause it midway. NE winds at 15-25 km/h may assist fast bowlers early on in the match.

 

IND vs SA Head-to-Head Records

 

IND vs SA head-to-head (in ODIs)
Match Played	96
Won by India	41
Won by Australia	52
Tied	0
No Result	3

 

IND vs SA 3rd ODI Probable XI

 

• India: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Washington Sundar, KL Rahul (c/wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna

 

• South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi

 

Players To Watch Out For In IND vs SA 3rd ODI Match

 

• Virat Kohli | IND: Virat Kohli is one of the key players to watch in this match. He has been in great form throughout the series, scoring back-to-back hundreds in the series so far. His hundred in Ranchi helped India win, while his 102 in Raipur came in a losing cause. Now, the 37-year-old will look to continue his good run in this deciding game and give India a strong start once again.

 

• Marco Jansen | SA: Marco Jansen is the top player to watch from South Africa. The left-arm fast bowler has picked up four wickets in the two games so far and has an economy of 6.95. He has bowled well with the new ball and used his short deliveries to keep the Indian batters in check. Despite the pitch being good for batting, the 25-year-old will attempt to pick some early wickets and try to put pressure on India.

 

• Rohit Sharma | IND: Rohit Sharma is another important player to watch in this match. He has scored 265 runs in his last four ODIs. Though he did not score much in the last game, his record at this venue is very strong. In seven ODIs played here, Rohit has made 355 runs at an average of 59.2, including two fifties and one century. He is thus a key Indian batter in the final match.

 

IND vs SA 3rd ODI Toss Prediction

 

Historical Toss-Winning Stats at the Venue

 

• In the last 3 ODI matches played here, the toss-winning teams had opted to bowl twice, while just once, the toss-winning team has opted to bat first.

 

Advantages of Bowling First on This Pitch

 

• In the last 5 matches played at this venue, it has been recorded that he team batting and bowling first at this venue has won the two matches each, while one match ended in Tie. However, considering the recent stats, chasing here seems a bit easy and hence, bowling first will be the right option.

 

IND vs SA ODI Today's Match Scenario

 

Scenario 1

 

• Toss Winner: India (opts to bowl first)


• Power-Play Score: 50-60


• SA Total: 320-350


• Match Winner: India

 

Scenario 2

 

• Toss Winner: South Africa (opts to bowl first)


• Power-Play Score: 55-65


• IND Total: 340-370


• Match Winner: India

 

Who will win today's IND vs SA 3rd ODI match?

 

India will the final ODI as slight favourites, as their batting has been strong, and Virat Kohli has been consistent. Still, South Africa's confident chase in Raipur has proved that they can match up to India in pressure games. The match is expected to be close, but India have a slight edge with their better record at this venue and because their senior players have been experienced at big moments of the game.