Daijiworld Media Network
Chennai, Oct 22: There has been a pattern in the three matches played so far. The teams batting first have managed to defend whatever total they have set. Even when some thought they are below par targets, chasing hasn't been easy. South Africa hold the edge going into the game as they have Quinton de Kock, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers and Farhaan Behardien in form. Amla has not got a big one, but we all know he is due for one. Morne Morkel and the young Kagiso Rabada have led the bowling attack well, with Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir supporting them.
Chennai is a sort of a homeground for skipper, MS Dhoni. Having played for the CSK franchise over the past 8 years, he's become a huge fan favourite. He will need all the adulation and much more if India are to come out of this sticky position. Another man who will try and rekindle the fond memories of Chennai is Suresh Raina. He's often found himself in tough situations - but that's no excuse for the ill-timed slogs that he attempted in Kanpur and Rajkot, very early in his innings. With just 3 runs from this series so far, the left-hander is due for a significant contribution. Virat Kohli played himself into some form while Ajinkya Rahane's batting position still remains a mystery.
India are in a do-or-die situation. They have never lost a home bilateral series to South Africa, but records are there to be rewritten. It isn't that India have not had their chances. They were pretty much coasting along during their chases in Kanpur and Rajkot, only to lose momentum mid-way and hurtle towards defeat. To their credit, South Africa kept fighting and deserved both their wins. Can the Proteas change a bit of history today? Hello and welcome to the fourth One Day International. We are at Chepauk on what is a balmy and humid day.
India have won the toss and have opted to bat.
MS Dhoni: 'We will bat first, looks like a decent wicket. Hopefully as the game progresses it will slow down to some extent. We are playing with the same side.'
AB de Villiers: 'It's a big toss to lose for us, but we love the challenge'
Teams
India (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni(w/c), Suresh Raina, Axar Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Amit Mishra, Mohit Sharma
South Africa (Playing XI): David Miller, Quinton de Kock(w), Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers(c), Farhaan Behardien, Chris Morris, Dale Steyn, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir, Aaron Phangiso
Pitch Report: 'It looks very dry, there are a few cracks as well. There will be some turn for the spinners. It's a bat first wicket, it might get slower as the match progresses,' reckons Sunil Gavaskar and Graeme Smith.
Vishaal, who's at the ground has more about Morkel's injury - 'Looks like Morkel is undergoing a last minute assessment. He's doing sprints while the rest of the team play Foot-tennis. Indian team have just finished stretching and are now doing fielding drills,' he says.
Team News: India made just one change to the team that featured in the first three ODIs. Umesh Yadav, who was very expensive in the first two ODIs has made way for Sreenath Aravind. The left-handed pacer brings a different variety to the bowling. But will he find a place in the eleven? On the other hand, South Africa have been beset by injuries to JP Duminy and Morne Morkel. The former has been ruled out of the final two ODIs - replaced by Dean Elgar. Morkel is currently warming up and is bowling from a shorter run-up, but is he fit enough to feature in today's match? We will get to know during the toss which is a short while away..
Preview:
With the chance of conceding the one-day international (ODI) series looming large, Mahendra Singh Dhoni's Team India have their backs to the wall in their lofty quest for survival as they host South Africa in the fourth fixture in Chennai on Thursday. The three 50-over fixtures thus far, have given a fair indication of how the visitors have been an all-round, well-oiled unit - rightfully in the lead while Dhoni & Co. have struggled to raise their game across all disciplines of the game simultaneously. There have been loose ends in both their losses which South Africa took full advantage of.
The last time the iconic Chepauk hosted an ODI was way back in 2012 - a day match between India and Pakistan. Much has changed since, and despite being renowned for a turning wicket, Thursday's game is expected to be high scoring. The weather is expected to be typically hot - with temperatures wavering in the early 30s - and provide a stern test for the fitness levels of both the side. With India chasing parity, huge crowds will be expected to turn up at a venue known for its vociferous support. Unfortunately for the passionate fans, however, three stands - that can accommodate up to 4,000 fans each - will be empty and closed due to lack of official clearance. The stands have remained closed for a long period of time due to an unresolved issue between the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and the Tamil Nadu Corporation. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had even ordered the demolition of these three stands.
Going into the Chennai fixture, India are grappling with a bit of negative energy surrounding Amit Mishra's alleged assault on a female friend in Bangalore and Pakistan umpire Aleem Dar's return home due to security fears. There also a hint of uncertainty in the batting order - with Ajinkya Rahane pushing down to number six despite getting two solid fifties at three. The move sent Virat Kohli back to his preferred spot at three and helped him rekindle his lost touch but in the most crucial phase of the game, during the chase, he uncharacteristically struggled to put bat to ball as the pressure was mounting. He eventually holed one out in the deep to kick-start the procession and a defeat. Dhoni, who batted at number four, endured a similar struggle as the South African bowlers did a fine job of drawing up a good plan and sticking to it, in their defence of 270. Despite recently getting his skipper and opening partner's backing, Shikhar Dhawan has treaded a fine line, with scores of 13 (29), 23 (34), 23 (28). There has been a recurring pattern to his dismissals so far - struggling to cut loose, allowing the pressure to mount and eventually perish while trying to break the shackles. It will be interesting to see if Dhoni brings in Ambati Rayudu in his place and pushes Rahane to open the innings with Rohit Sharma.
Dhoni has, time and again, reiterated that the lack of a good finisher is hurting India's prospects in the limited-overs format. With an extra fielder outside the 30-year circle in the final ten overs, the hosts are in need of a highly-skilled batter who can counter South Africa's express pace and steer clear off the new rule. An opportunity for the Punjab youngster Gurkeerat Singh Mann could be a punt worth taking for the Indian skipper, if Mishra is kept out again. The 25-year-old, who claims to have modelled his game on Dhoni's and has his eyes set on the number five and six batting positions, has recently shown glimpses of being a potent all-rounder. In the recently-concluded A series against Bangladesh A, he scored 65 off 58 balls and followed it up with a fifer in the first of the three matches. A senior side call-up came before the conclusion of that series, which he celebrated with an unbeaten double century for Punjab in their comprehensive victory over Railways in the Ranji Trophy. With off-field controversy surrounding Mishra, Gurkeerat could get a shoo in while Umesh Yadav's return to the line-up could also be mulled.
In the opposition camp, the gamble of trying an out-of-sorts David Miller worked to an extent as the Southpaw got going before being dismissed for 33 in Rajkot. AB de Villiers spoke highly of Miller and is expected to play him up the order again in Chennai. However, their main concern will be filling the spot of an effective all-rounder, left vacant by the injured JP Duminy, who has been ruled out of the last two ODIs. Dean Elgar, who can bat and bowl a bit of right-arm spin, has been called in as cover but it remains to be seen if he will have enough time to get into the groove and be part of the line-up. South Africa could also consider bringing in left-arm spinner Aaron Phangiso.
The visitors are also sweating over the fitness of Morne Morkel - who put in a match-winning performances in the third ODI in Rajkot with figures of 4-39 and is currently the leading wicket-taker in the series with seven scalps. Morkel had suffered an injury to his leg in his sixth over but went on to bowl the entire quota, powering his side to a victory. 'I'm not confident I'll be ready for the next game. It's just a matter now of the next 24 hours,' Morkel had said after the victory in the third ODI and faces a race against time to regain fitness for the fourth. If Morkel misses out, De Villiers could turn to a similarly tall-framed fast bowler Chris Morris, who can also throw his bat around a bit.