Proteas aim for balance with one eye on World Cup

Feb.1 (CRICKETNMORE) - Proteas will be looking to strike the balance between results and a look to the future when they take on India in the first One-Day International (ODI) at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Thursday. The Proteas enter the series

Aiden Markram looks set to earn his second ODI cap and will come in for the injured AB de Villiers in the line-up. The 23-year-old Test opener made his ODI debut against Bangladesh in October last year, and is a bright prospect who has been earmarked for the future.  

“ We will be giving Aiden an opportunity to come in for the injured AB de Villiers,” Du Plessis said. “ We want him to bat in different places in our batting order, that is a great way for players to evolve their game and to bat in different situations in one-day cricket. That will be a nice learning curve for him and hopefully he will score good runs for us.”  

The players have managed to make the mental adjustment following the recently concluded Test series, with the focus shifting to the fast-paced high-intensity format. Tickets for the match have been sold out a week in advance, with the Durban fans having the first opportunity to witness the two best ODI teams in the world.

“It is challenging mentally,” the captain said of the change of formats. “ I felt yesterday after training for the first time, we could feel that mentally we were drained, which was the side-effects of a powerful Test series with a lot of pressure. I assume once we get into one-day mode, mentally we will make that switch again. We have played a lot of one-day cricket, even India is used to travelling and playing a lot, once we get into it will be better.” 

Standard Bank Proteas ODI squad: Faf du Plessis (Multiply Titans, capt), Hashim Amla (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Quinton de Kock (Multiply Titans), JP Duminy (World Sports Betting Cape Cobras), Imran Tahir (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Aiden Markram (Multiply Titans), David Miller (VKB Knights), Morne Morkel (Multiply Titans), Chris Morris (Multiply Titans), Lungisani Ngidi (Multiply Titans), Andile Phehlukwayo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins), Kagiso Rabada (bizhub Highveld Lions), Tabraiz Shamsi (Multiply Titans), Khayelihle Zondo (Hollywoodbets Dolphins)

India vs South Africa ODI Series Schedule

February 1: 1st ODI, Sahara Stadium Kingsmead, Durban

February 4:  2nd ODI, SuperSport Park, Centurion

February 7:  3rd ODI, PPC Newlands, Cape Town

February 10: 4th ODI, Bidvest Wanderers, Johannesburg

February 13: 5th ODI, St George’s Park, Port Elizabeth

February 16: 6th ODI, SuperSport Park, Centurion

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Press Release