5 Issues both teams will need to address before the 3rd ODI

5 Issues both teams will need to address before the 3rd ODI: India and South Africa have both shown glimpses of fighting spirit in the on-going ODI series. South Africa, with the help of Imran Tahir and Kagiso Rabada got back in the game in the dying moments as they won a closely fought game in Kanpur, denying Rohit Sharma’s century a victory, twice in two weeks.

India led by their Captain Dhoni and Axar Patel’s game changing spell, clawed back into the game when all seemed to be lost in the 2^nd ODI. With this win, India has levelled the series and it also promises the fans to expect more such games in the coming weeks.

While a win makes you feel that everything is on track, however both teams would look to get a few things sorted as the race to win the series gets closer.

Let us look at the 5 Issues both teams will need to address before the 3rd ODI:

1. India’s middle order woes:

India have always been a top-heavy side, always banking on its batting to score, this season though that is not quite happening. In all the games played so far, Raina and Dhawan have looked out of sorts. Kohli too has had a bad run this year and his 2 run outs in last 4 games haven’t helped his case. With Dhoni playing Axar ahead of Binny, India will depend heavily on its middle order to score big as they are technically playing with only 6 batsmen. It is about time one of these batsmen raises his hands and announces return to form.

2. South Africa’s wobbly batting order:

Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock have looked out of form. Both of them got out trying to play shots that weren’t requisite at that point. Stepping out and trying to hit over extra cover isn’t a shot you would generally associate with Amla, and that’s how he got out. The top order’s failure puts a lot of pressure on AB de Villiers as the whole team then expects him to go out and get those runs. Amla would want to return to form and get one of those big hundreds he is really famous for. Miller too hasn’t looked himself, putting the onus on Behardien and Duminy to close out the games. The Proteas should look to address these issues as they give India an opportunity to get back in the game.

3. Finishing off chases:

Both India and South Africa messed up comfortable looking chases due to some rash shots played by their batsmen. Raina, Dhoni and Binny all 3 got out going for a huge heave in the 1^st ODI and South African batsmen too tried to force the ball and gifted their wickets playing rash shots. They would both hope that their batsmen apply themselves well at the crease and shrug off those chasing jitters and finish off the game for their sides.

4. Death bowling:

India was in a good position in the 1^stODI; they had restricted South Africa to 217-5 in 44 overs and hoped to keep them under 260. Their fast bowlers though, leaked 86 runs in the last 6 overs which proved to be the differential in a close game.

South Africa in the 2^nd ODI had India on the mat at 165-7 in 40 overs. But they let a spirited Dhoni score freely as India accumulated 82 runs in the last 10 with only 3 wickets in hand. De Villiers would be ruing the fact that his bowlers couldn’t bowl India out as those runs hurt South Africa dearly.

Both captain would now get back to the drawing board and plan a strategy to control the runs that are leaked at the end of the innings which could truly turn tables in this closely fought series.

5. The fifth bowler:

Due the injury to Ravichandran Ashwin, Dhoni had to give Binny more overs than what was expected of him. Binny’s 8 overs cost 63 runs and his final over went for 21 runs turning the tide in South Africa’s favour. Dhoni got that base covered in the 2^nd game and played Axar in place of Binny so as to have 5 bowlers who could bowl 10 overs apiece.

South Africa on the other hand are still persisting with the Behardien-Duminy combination as their 5th bowler. They together cost South Africa 74 runs in 10 overs as Indian batsmen scored easily off their bowling without much trouble. In the 2^nd ODI too, it was Duminy against whom Dhoni broke loose before his final flourish. I wouldn’t be surprised that to cover that aspect, South Africa might drop and out of form David Miller and get in Aaron Phangiso depending on the pitch conditions at Rajkot.