The iconic Wankhede stadium in Mumbai is primed for a top-quality tussle on Sunday as India and South Africa seek to fight it out for the One-Day International (ODI) series honours. For all the criticism and scrutiny faced by Dhoni and his men, they have done well to claw their way back from two high-pressure deficits to gain parity and a shot at bragging rights. As for the visitors, they have thrilled and fallen flat alternatively, and will hope to bring a fruitful end to the pattern in the finale. From the injury to lead spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to a top-order batting combination conundrum, hosts India have had to deal with a plethora of issues. Yet, a win just ahead of the decider has given them much-needed momentum ahead of Sunday's clash. While Dhoni has used his spinners to good effect and done well to keep the run flow in check in the middle overs, the recent ODI rule change has enabled both sides pose a bigger challenge to each other as a fielding side in the final ten overs. Virat Kohli's return to form with an authoritative century all but solves the batting order woes - slotting Kohli at No. 3, Ajinkya Rahane at 4 with Dhoni and Raina taking the No. 5 and 6 positions based on the situation. The No. 7 batsman remains a grey area but it would be highly uncharacteristic of Dhoni to tinker with a winning combination. Shikhar Dhawan's poor run of form is also a concern but the Southpaw will be more than eager to play a big role in the decider.
Kohli's return to menacing form has compounded South Africa's tryst with injuries as the absence of fast bowler Morne Morkel and all-rounder JP Duminy has had severe repercussions on the team composition. Chris Morris matches Morkel with his tall frame but fails as far as impact is concerned. Left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso couldn't replicate the effectiveness of JP Duminy's in the middle overs as the Indian batters took him apart in the Chennai ODI. The South African think-tank will have quite a task to decide on the line-up - whether to beef up their batting by bringing in Dean Elgar in place of Phangiso and take the punt of splitting the latter's quota of ten overs between Elgar and part-time medium-pacer Farhaan Behardien or persist with Phangiso and expect the batters to put on a better show. Going by the lofty standards set by himself, Hashim Amla has flattered to deceive in the four games so far - aggregating 66 at a forgettable average of 16.50. A typically solid knock from Amla at the top-order could set the tone for the rest to follow.
It will also be interesting to see where David Miller features in the line-up. The baby-faced big-hitter has endured a lean patch similar to Kohli's, but unlike his Indian counterpart, is yet to shrug it off. De Villiers has spoken highly of the left-hander and even tried to accommodate him as an opener to help him score some runs early on when the ball comes onto the bat nicely. Miller has a best of 33 out of his 52 in four innings and needs to turn his form over to ease the pressure on his versatile skipper. De Villiers was in the mood to produce a special knock in Chennai and seal the series but the lack of a batting partner came as a roadblock. If either of Amla or Miller plays a big essay, the stage will be set for De Villiers to blaze away, with chants of 'AB AB AB' reverberating around one of India's best stadiums.
Teams:
South Africa (From): Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock(w), Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers(c), David Miller, Farhaan Behardien, Chris Morris, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir, Kyle Abbott, Dean Elgar, Khaya Zondo, Morne Morkel
India (From): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Axar Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra, Mohit Sharma, Ambati Rayudu, Stuart Binny, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Sreenath Aravind
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