South Africa vs India 2018: Analyzing India's ODI squad

South Africa vs India 2018: Analyzing India's ODI squad

Hardik Pandya

23-year-old Hardik Pandya is the all-rounder that the Indian team has been searching for since the last decade. Pandya can chip in with crucial overs in the middle and can be handy with the bat as well.

He is expected to play the role of a floater in the batting order. After a failure in the first two Tests, the all-rounder will look to come back into form. Hardik scored 557 runs in the previous year at an average of 34.81 and he also managed to pick up 31 wickets. He will be crucial to India's success in the Rainbow Nation.

The bowling unit

The bowler who rattled the South Africans in the first session of the Test series. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the first preference to take the new ball against the Proteas in the ODIS. Bhuvi has been brilliant in limited overs cricket recently, he has added a few variations to his armoury. Bhuvneshwar has learnt to ball the yorker, the slower one and the knuckleball.

His swing early on in the innings has always been impressive. Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead India's bowling attack in the six-match one-day series.

After a poor run in the first two Tests, Mohammad Shami bowled a match-winning spell in the third Test. Shami will look to replicate his success in the one-day internationals. Shami is expected to take the new ball alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar.

The duo can be lethal in South African conditions. Shami featured in only three one-day internationals in the previous year, the pacer has picked up 91 wickets in ODIS. Shami can surprise the batsman with his pace and bounce with the white Kookaburra ball.