The Plot

As the contest unfolds further, South Africa will host India in the 2nd ODI at the SuperSport Park, Centurion. After an exciting 1st ODI in Durban, the Proteas will come even harder on the visitors to gain the equalizer. Whereas, a win for the Indian team will make India the favorites to win the series. India have never won a bilateral series against South Africa in their backyard. However, India also have never lost a bilateral series under the captaincy of Virat Kohli. This series is long and will test the character of every cricketer involved, and when it comes to the second ODI, the match will be extremely crucial to gain the advantage over the opponent. The advantage will not only be in numbers, but psychological too.

In the absence of AB de Villiers, Aiden Markram got a chance to establish himself in the middle order, but he failed to deliver. Amla and de Kock’s poor run of form in the test series continued in the first ODI, but it was their captain, who held his ground to save his team from posting an embarrassing total. With Faf du Plessis ruled out of the rest of the series, it will be interesting to see who steps up for the Proteas. It is a major blow for the hosts as the Protea skipper was the only batsman who looked like he could pick the wrist spinners well. For India, the opening pair remains susceptible. Rohit Sharma’s exceptional run of form from the previous ODI series speaks in his favor. He will look forward to gaining confidence from the first match victory and break his poor run of form in South Africa. Rahane has solved the question of No. 4 spot for the current series and he will surely retain his place in the second ODI. Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya being untested in the first match, and Dhoni being the only experienced player in that slot, it will be interesting to see if the bowling department of SA will go all guns blazing in the second ODI.

Stage

SuperSport Park, Centurion

SuperSport Park has the spectator capacity of 22,000 which incorporates the grass embankments for the large portion of the stadium. This venue is known for being one of the quicker pitches in South Africa. This would give a plenty of opportunities for the batsmen, with the ball usually coming onto the bat. It would be a dilemma for Virat Kohli to play with two spinners or not, as the pitch might not support any turn, but he might just prefer not to disturb the winning combination in the second ODI.

Acts

Rohit Sharma vs Morne Morkel

Rohit Sharma was about to shift his gears and get his momentum flowing, but Morkel’s short pitched delivery got him out. The Mumbai batsman is keen to make his mark in South Africa and play a substantial innings, whereas Morkel looks like he has got the key to trouble the Indian opener. The first spell of Morkel will be crucial for Sharma and if he passes that, it will easier for him to get to a bigger score.

Quinton de Kock vs Yuzvendra Chahal

Although the South African opener hasn’t found his form so far, he looked determined in the first ODI. If de Kock holds the ability to start an innings in an explosive manner, Chahal knows how to decelerate the innings. Chahal is in an impressive run of form and it won’t be easy to battle him out while de Kock will have to utilize the advantage of playing at home.

Virat Kohli vs Expectations

There isn’t any bowler who would trouble the man in the form that he is. His dismissals are usually the ones where he loses concentration and the bowler capitalizes. He can play all kinds of shots with ease and the only test he will be facing is the weight of expectations. As a captain, he hasn’t lost any bilateral ODI series yet. This will be an ultimate test for him to keep his record intact as a captain. Moreover, as a batsman, it has become a natural tendency to expect a three-figure knock from him. Obviously, he will expect his teammates to equally contribute with the bat, but after his match-winning innings in the first ODI, most eyes will be glued on his innings.