India and South Africa face each other in the second ODI at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur on Wednesday (December 3), with the home team aiming to wrap up the series after their thrilling win in Ranchi.
KL Rahul’s team is full of confidence Virat Kohli’s match winning 135 runs And Rohit Sharma’s steady inning of 57 runs took India to 349 runs in the first match.
With Raipur’s balanced pitch expected to favor seam initially and spin later, India will once again rely on emerging all-rounder Harshit Rana and wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, whose breakthroughs at crucial junctures helped them win the first match. Rahul’s adaptable No. 6 role continues to provide India with flexibility and depth.
Meanwhile, South Africa will be looking to respond strongly after falling behind by just 17 runs in Ranchi. Their bowlers, including Marco Jansen and Otniel Baartman, will need to attack early to challenge India’s top order, while the middle order – led by Mathieu Britzke – will need more consistency during the chase.
Raipur pitch report
Surface of Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur India vs South Africa 2nd ODI It is expected that there will be a balanced contest between bat and ball. Fresh grass and tenacity at the start will help the seamers, providing swing and seam movement in the early overs. As the match progresses, the pitch is likely to settle down, making strokes easier and allowing the batsmen to play big innings. The spinners may also get some purchase in the middle overs as the surface starts to show signs of wear and tear.
Although the venue has hosted only one ODI, the scoring trend and wicket pattern from the previous match suggests that the captain winning the toss may lean towards chasing the target.
Overall, a competitive encounter is expected, where disciplined bowling and timely aggressive batting will be crucial. As the innings progress, conditions should gradually adapt to the pace before making it easier for batting.
Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium ODI Stats & Records
- Total matches: 1
- Matches won by batting first: 0
- Matches won by bowling first: 1
- Average score of first innings: 108
- Average score of second innings: 111
- Highest total recorded: 111/2 (20.1 overs) India vs New Zealand
- Lowest total recorded: 108/10 (34.3 overs) New Zealand vs India
- Best bowling: 3/18 (Mohammed Shami)
- Highest individual score: 51 (Rohit Sharma)
Also read: “I would be lying if…” – KL Rahul on India’s win over South Africa in Ranchi ODI
