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South Africa stunned India by successfully chasing a huge target of 359 runs and winning by 4 wickets, which levelled the three-match ODI series 1–1 in Raipur. India had won the first match, but the Proteas made a strong comeback in the second. Their victory was led by a brilliant century from opener Aiden Markram, along with important contributions from other batters that helped them cross the finish line.

Even though India have batted well and scored big totals in both matches, the series is now heading into a decider. The main question now is: Will India make changes to their playing XI? Considering the current form of some players and the situation of the series, India might need to rethink their team combination for the final match in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

Opening Combination

Yashasvi Jaiswal is one of the most talented young batters in modern cricket, but his attacking style has not worked well for him in this series. Although he has given India brisk starts, he has often lost his wicket at important moments, which has put pressure on the team.

On the other hand, Ruturaj Gaikwad impressed everyone with a brilliant century in the second ODI. Even though he batted at number 4 in that match, he has a lot of experience as an opener. Gaikwad is known for staying at the crease for long periods and increasing his scoring rate once he is set. While he looked in good touch in the first match too, his innings ended early because of a stunning catch by Dewald Brevis at point.

Considering these factors, India might think about changing the playing XI and promoting Gaikwad to open the innings with Rohit Sharma. This could give the team a more stable start at the top.

Getting Nitish Kumar Reddy in

If Ruturaj Gaikwad opens the innings, it will leave an empty spot in the middle order. In that case, stand-in captain KL Rahul or Washington Sundar could move up to bat at number 4. This would allow the team management to bring in Nitish Kumar Reddy to bat at number 6 or 7.

Reddy’s role with the bat would be straightforward — play attacking cricket and score quick runs in the final overs. Besides his batting, he can also contribute with the ball. India have given away a lot of runs in both matches so far, so having an extra bowling option like Reddy could be very useful for maintaining control during the innings.

The post Yashasvi Jaiswal To Sit Out? With Series On The Line, Will India Make Changes In Playing XI For Decider Against South Africa? appeared first on NewsX.