India eye historic win; Proteas hope for redemption

Beamingin confidence after three consecutive wins, India will press hard topocket a historic ODI series when they face a depleted South Africa, whowill hope for some AB de Villiers’ magic in the fourth one-dayer at theNew Wanderers Stadium today.With an unassailable 3-0 lead in hand,the Virat Kohli-led outfit need just one more win in the six-matchseries to claim their maiden ODI triumph on South African soil and alsocement their place atop the International Cricket Council (ICC) ODIrankings.Previously, India came close taking a 2-1 lead in the2010-11 series under Mahendra Singh Dhoni, only to lose 2-3 eventually.Going in to the fourth ODI, India’s only concern will be the consecutivefailures of opener Rohit Sharma, but not so much that Kohli will tinkerwith the winning combination in the crucial game. Despite Rohit’s woeswith the willow, the top order comprising Shikhar Dhawan and Kohli cameout all guns blazing in the third ODI, with the captain registering his34th ODI ton to lift his team to a commanding 303 even after the middleorder collapsed.Dhawan too struck a fine half century to forge a 140-run second wicket stand that laid the foundation at Cape Town.India’sbowling has clicked excellently in the three matches so far, with thewrist spin duo of leggie Yuzvendra Chahal and chinaman Kuldeep Yadav,accounting for 21 out of the 30 wickets.Despite practising withlocal wrist spinners at Newlands, the Proteas’ batting line-up stillcollapsed against the Indian spin duo, with both Chahal and Kuldeeptaking four wickets apiece. Whether this will change today remains to beseen.Today’s match also holds special significance for the SouthAfricans. It is the ‘Pink ODI’, played for the awareness against breastcancer and for the benefit of those suffering from the disease. It wasfirst held in 2011, and this will be the sixth such occasion.Infact, the Proteas have never lost when playing in their unique pinkjersey and will hope to replicate that in the fourth game.The hostswill also hope for some respite after de Villiers was, on Thursday,added to their ODI squad for the remaining three matches.The starbatsman missed the first three ODIs owing to a finger injury he hadsustained during the third Test. However, Cricket South Africa (CSA)will access de Villiers’ fitness on Friday afternoon – 24 hours beforethe game – before taking a call on his availability for the match.Ifhe is fit and available, it is expected that de Villiers will bat atNo.3 with Jean Paul Duminy dropping down to No.4. One of David Miller orKhaya Zondo will make way for him in the playing XI. The hosts willalso expect a solid foundation from the opening due of Hashim Amla andstand-in skipper Aiden Markram to put pressure on the Indian pace duo ofBhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah.Teams: India: ViratKohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, ShreyasIyer, Manish Pandey, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, Mahendra Singh Dhoni(WK), Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel,Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Shardul Thakur.SouthAfrica: Aiden Markram (Captain), Hashim Amla, Jean Paul Duminy, ImranTahir, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Lungisani Ngidi, AndilePhehlukwayo, Kagiso Rabada, Tabraiz Shamsi, Khayelihle Zondo, FarhaanBehardien, Heinrich Klaasen (WK), AB de Villiers.