CT 2017, Match 11, IND v SA: India Predicted XI

It is a virtual quarter-final between the top two sides in the One-Day International rankings who go head to head with each other for a place in the semi-final stage of the competition. Both India and South Africa enter the game with a loss in their previous match, with India losing against fellow Asian side Sri Lanka while South Africa could not match the firepower of Pakistan in their Group B encounter.

Virat Kohli ahead of the do-or-die encounter has suggested that there might be a few changes in the playing XI for the game against South Africa with one change being certain that is the inclusion of off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Kohli also suggested that the inclusion of Ashwin might come at the expense of either Kedar Jadhav or the all-rounder Hardik Pandya.

For South Africa, skipper AB de Villiers underwent various tests, and the results might just rule him alright for the knockout game against India. South Africa would be hoping to win against a great Indian unit to help themselves onto a first Champions Trophy title since its inception.

Here’s the predicted XI for India in their last league game against South Africa.

Openers (Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma)

One thing that is certain in the match is that Rohit Sharma would open alongside the southpaw Shikhar Dhawan. The duo has been exceptional for the Men in Blue throughout the tournament, with consistent scores in both the matches.

While Rohit Sharma fired a match-winning 90 against Pakistan in the opener, Shikhar Dhawan scored a valuable 70 runs in the same match. In doing so, the duo became India’s best opening partners in the Champions Trophy. In the second encounter against Sri Lanka, the openers got off to a start of 138 runs before Rohit Sharma was dismissed following a shot straight to the long leg fielder.

The southpaw went on to make a valuable 125 runs off 128 balls at a strike rate of just under 100 in a pulsating encounter at the Kennington Oval.

Middle Order (Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni)

The middle-order of this Indian team is equally as strong as the top order of the team with Virat Kohli setting the ball rolling. The Indian skipper did not have the time of his life up front in the early stages of the match against Pakistan at Edgbaston. Kohli, however, clicked once he completed his 50 in the same game but failed in the subsequent game with a duck.

Yuvraj Singh, just like Kohli set the ball rolling in the opening game against Pakistan where he was adjudged as the Man of the match. The southpaw, however, could not back up his performance in the second match getting out to the off-spinner Gunaratne for only seven runs.

MS Dhoni did not have a part to play in the opening game, while he scored a crucial 63 runs in the second game against Sri Lanka. Kohli would be hopeful that the right-hander continues his form against South Africa

All-rounders (Hardik Pandya, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja)

India would go to this match with three all-rounders in the shed, with Pandya, Ashwin and Jadeja constituting for all-rounders in the playing XI.

Hardik Pandya has been a bit hot and cold in the two games that he has played. The all-rounder began his tournament with a quickfire 20 runs in the last over against Pakistan, while he struggled to time the ball against Sri Lanka. With the ball in hand too, the all-rounder has not been very impressive in the two games.

Ravichandran Ashwin would want to prove a point after he was dropped from the playing XI in the opening two fixtures with a performance of his own. The all-rounder’s presence would be a huge benefit for the Indian team with some quality off-spin coming into play. Jadeja has been excellent in the field for the team and haven’t got a chance to bat at all. He did well against Pakistan but received a hammering at the hands of the Sri Lankan batsmen.

Bowlers (Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah)

Virat Kohli has given the new ball to Bhuvneshwar Kumar in return for quick wickets at the top of the order and the right-arm seam bowler has not disappointed the captain in both the outings. Against Pakistan, the right-arm seamer picked up a wicket in the Powerplay and followed it up with an early wicket against Sri Lanka.

Umesh Yadav, like Pandya, has been blowing hot and cold with the ball. The right-arm pacer picked up three wickets for 30 runs in the eight overs he bowled against Pakistan while going for 67 without picking up a wicket against Sri Lanka.

If there has ever been a bowler that Kohli would want to hit the form, that would be the right-arm slinger Jasprit Bumrah. Bumrah has not been the pick of the wickets for the Indian team and that has been quite hard to digest for the fans following his heroics with Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier League.