South Africa is gearing up for a thrilling decider in the three-match ODI series against India, with the series currently tied at 1-1. After dominating India 2-0 in the recent Test series, the Proteas will be keen to finish strong in the ODI series too, but they know India will work hard to avoid a second consecutive series defeat in their own backyard.
Ahead of the third and final ODI in Visakhapatnam on 6 December, Matthew Bretzke said they are targeting another series win on Indian soil after winning the 2nd ODI by four wickets in Raipur on 3 December despite centuries from Virat Kohli and Ruturaj Gaikwad.
India will be really hungry to win the ODI series: Matthew Bretzke
The 27-year-old admitted that the Indian cricket team will be hungry to win the series decider to win the ODI series, so the Proteas team will have to play accordingly. He also believed that the ODI series decider would be more exciting for the fans in Visakhapatnam.
Also read: ICC removed Indians from Player of the Month nominees for November 2025, Pakistani player got the place.
“We’ve got to play good cricket against a really good team. We know they’ll be really hungry to win. It’s a must-win game, so it’s going to be a really good encounter,” Matthew Bretzke told the media at the pre-match press conference, as quoted by PTI.
Mathieu Bretzke warns India about South Africa’s strong batting
Britzke believes South Africa’s well-balanced batting lineup could be the key in the ODI series decider against the Men in Blue. He mentioned that the Proteas team has power hitters like Marco Jensen, Corbin Bosch and Dewald Brewis, who can turn the game.
The right-handed batsman further explained that his presence at the lower end gives the top-order batsmen the freedom to play with confidence without taking unnecessary risks. The star batsman warned the Men in Blue that the combination of experienced middle-order batsmen and explosive finishers at the back end makes the Proteas a tough challenge for any side.
Britzke added, “I think we really complement each other and there’s a lot of confidence in the batting group at the moment. We’ll have to do that again tomorrow.”
Matthew Britzke opens up about his new Proteas role
South Africa’s recent tour of Pakistan has helped Bretzke adapt to his role at No. 4 in the batting order and he now feels more comfortable and confident in the position.
Also Read: IND vs SA Free Live Streaming in India, Live Telecast – 3rd ODI, South Africa tour of India 2025
“Yeah, a little bit. I think obviously the conditions were very different in Pakistan, but obviously I’m getting more experience now batting at No. 4 where I’m starting to feel a little bit more comfortable. Hopefully I’ll get better,” the Proteas star added.
South Africa prepares backup strategy for Vizag challenge
The South African team had decided to chase the target in the first two ODIs in Ranchi and Raipur, and Britzke revealed that they are already discussing strategies if they bat first in the decider against India in Visakhapatnam due to dew.
He said this by saying, “We have seen that dew has played a big role (in the first two matches); obviously, to our advantage, batting second, it has been really good to bat first. If we have to bat first, I am sure we will talk about it after this conference after a few meetings and see what is the best way to go about it. But yes, dew has definitely played a big role.”
