As India and South Africa With the series in the third ODI in Visakhapatnam, an unexpected subplot has dominated the buildup: India’s astonishing sequence of 20 consecutive toss defeats in ODIs, a sequence whose chances are close to one in a million.
Dew is expected to play a big role in the final match of India’s domestic season, with the toss could significantly impact the result at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Stadium. For India, who saw firsthand what dew looks like Derailed their 359 run defense in RaipurLosing the toss again could prove particularly costly.
Visakhapatnam weather forecast: full 100 overs likely
The weather of Visakhapatnam promises complete suitability without interruption of rain. Afternoon temperatures are expected to hover around 27-28 degrees Celsius, with hot, humid conditions initially. As the match progresses towards the evening, the temperature will drop rapidly to between 11-20 degrees Celsius depending on the coastal wind speed.
The sky is likely to be mostly cloudy, but the chance of rain is negligible. However, humidity levels in excess of 70% after sunset will contribute to fatigue for players – and more importantly, accelerate the formation of dew that has shaped the entire series.
The balance is expected to tilt towards the chasing team due to heavy dew
Dew has already emerged as a deciding factor in the ODI stage. In Raipur, India’s bowlers struggled to hold on to the ball during South Africa’s record-equalling chase due to a wet outfield and slippery seams.
Visakhapatnam has historically been one of the venues with the heaviest dew in India, especially for evening matches. Medical staff and ground crew often struggle with humidity from the 15th over of the second innings.
Expected on match night:
- Dew starts falling rapidly after sunset
- A skidding ball that imparts slight lateral motion
- Minimum grip for finger-spinners and wrist-spinners
- Fast outfield in favor of boundary play
- It became easier for the team chasing the target to score strokes in the last 15 overs.
Spin bowling becomes particularly ineffective after 30-35 overs in the second innings in Vizag, forcing teams to rely heavily on pace variations and yorkers.
Toss prediction: Strong incentive to bowl first
Given the strong dew conditions, the captain who wins the toss is more likely to field first and chase under lights. This trend was reinforced by the recent Women’s World Cup, during which all five matches played in Visakhapatnam were won by the teams batting second.
With India desperate to avoid having to defend under the dew again, the toss could be termed ‘crucial’ – perhaps more so than in any other match in this series.
Also read: IND vs SA, 3rd ODI Match Prediction – Who will win today’s game between India and South Africa?
