Deadline: October 11, 2019 at 9 AM IST

Venue: Reliance Stadium, Vadodara

Pitch report

South Africa tried to go hard on the slow track of Vadodara, throwing away wickets in the process. The Indian bowlers made sure they keep things simple and numb the opposition. Their batsmen then took time to find their feet, not repeating the mistakes committed by their opposition.

Expect more runs only if India bat first.

Teams

Probable XI for India: Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Punam Raut, Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Taniya Bhatia, Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Poonam Yadav

Probable XI for South Africa: Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Trishy Chetty (wk), Mignon du Preez, Sune Luus (c), Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail, Nondumiso Shangese, Tumi Sekhukhune, Ayabonga Khaka

NOTE: Pick your fantasy cricket team wisely

Fantasy team

We have opted for a fantasy team on the basis of players’ impact, recent performances, and credit points.

You can also check players’ performances in the last 5 matches. Tap on the players’ names to get the data while making your fantasy team.

My 11: Trisha Chetty (wk), Priya Punia, Laura Wolvaardt, Mignon du Preez, Jemimah Rodrigues (c), Harmanpreet Kaur, Nadine de Klerk, Deepti Sharma, Poonam Yadav, Jhulan Goswami (vc), Marizanne Kapp

Top picks

Captain: Jemimah Rodrigues, Marizanne Kapp, Jhulan Goswami

Vice-captain: Priya Punia, Mignon du Preez, Harmanpreet Kaur

Players to watch out for

The absence of Smriti Mandhana did give South Africa some psychological advantage, but Priya Punia gave no reprieve. Not only did she lay a strong foundation for the chase with Jemimah Rodrigues (55 off 65) but also made sure she stays unbeaten until the last run is attained. On a track that made finding the gaps difficult, Priya scored 75 off 124 including 8 fours.

Marizanne Kapp‘s transition from a bowler to an all-rounder has been spectacular. Had it not been for her 54, South Africa would have been bundled out below 100. Before she steadied the ship, Laura Wolvaardt had fought hard for her 39-run knock.

The victory in the first ODI belonged to the Indian bowlers. Jhulan Goswami dismissed Lizelle Lee off the very first ball of the match, eventually taking a three-wicket haul. Meanwhile, Shikha Pandey, Ekta Bisht, and Poonam Yadav took 2 wickets each, keeping South Africa on the back foot throughout the innings.

Match prediction

South Africa need to pick their moments. Going all guns blazing against a disciplined Indian bowling attack can only push them further down the barrel. They need to do what Priya Punia did: take time to settle and then launch an attack. Otherwise, the scoreline would read 2-0, for the Indians have been in blistering form of late.

Squads

India: Priya Punia, Jemimah Rodrigues, Punam Raut, Mithali Raj(c), Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Shikha Pandey, Taniya Bhatia(w), Ekta Bisht, Jhulan Goswami, Poonam Yadav, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Mansi Joshi, Dayalan Hemalatha, Pooja Vastrakar

South Africa: Lizelle Lee, Laura Wolvaardt, Trisha Chetty(w), Mignon du Preez, Sune Luus(c), Marizanne Kapp, Nadine de Klerk, Shabnim Ismail, Nondumiso Shangase, Tumi Sekhukhune, Ayabonga Khaka, Tazmin Brits, Lara Goodall, Nonkululeko Mlaba

Also, get to know the tips & tricks on how to play fantasy cricket

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