IND vs SA, 3rd ODI: Do or dew. India fight to keep history alive in Vizag decider

India desperately want one streak to end and a couple of others to stay alive. For 41 years, no visiting side has returned home having beaten India in both Tests and ODIs on the same tour. If that proud record is to hold, India will need more than another Virat Kohli hundred. They may, just may, also need to get it right at the toss when they take on Temba Bavuma’s South Africa in the ODI series decider on Saturday, December 6 in Visakhapatnam.
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Sport, they say, is a theatre of uncertainty. Yet India’s recent run borders on the uncanny: twenty lost tosses on the trot, a sequence with a probability of roughly 0.000095%. It is remarkable for all the wrong reasons.
True, teams live with variables in this beautiful, unpredictable game. But for India’s young bowling unit, still earning its stripes, the heavy evening dew in day-night ODIs is turning into a genuine Achilles heel.
WHEN AND WHERE TO WATCH
The 3rd ODI between India and South Africa will start at 1:30 pm IST today. Star Sports and JioHotstar will provide TV and live-streaming in India.
In Ranchi, India’s 349 was just enough — a 17-run win that could have unravelled after South Africa, reduced to 11 for 3, nearly hauled it back. In Raipur on Thursday, even 359 wasn’t safe, as South Africa equalled the highest successful chase by a visiting team in India in ODI history.
Across formats over the past two months, India have struggled to get a grip on this touring South African side — and, increasingly, in their own conditions. Blanked 0–2 in the Tests, now threatened by defeat in the ODIs, they find themselves wrestling not only with a confident opponent but also with the dew-soaked evenings of their own cities.
DO OR DEW?
Visakhapatnam, a coastal venue, is unlikely to offer anything different from Raipur or Ranchi. Whoever wins the toss will enjoy a significant advantage, because the side bowling second must once again contend with heavy late-evening dew.
To complicate matters further, the new regulation allowing bowling teams to use only one of the two new balls after the 34th over is widening the imbalance. The rule was designed to offer bowlers some relief in ODIs, but in dewy conditions it is having the opposite effect. The team bowling first benefits from a relatively drier ball in the latter overs of the opening innings, while the side bowling second battles to grip an ageing, moisture-soaked ball as the dew settles in.
So much so that India’s batting coach Ryan ten Doeschate, who spoke to the press on the eve of the ODI in Visakhapatnam, was asked if India should consider starting their day-night games earlier than usual to lessen the impact of dew in the evenings.
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“The dew factor is so big here. It is obviously not our fault but it is our responsibility to find a way to get around that. The biggest challenge is sorting out the disparity between batting first and batting second,” he said.
“The dew falls as the second innings starts, and a different start time could bring that effect down. But obviously broadcasting plays a role, so it is a futile conversation.”
Can’t help it, can we? Cricket is increasingly being shaped by broadcasters — and who, realistically, wants to watch an ODI that begins at 9am and finishes by 4pm?
South Africa, meanwhile, are buoyant. On the brink of history, Temba Bavuma’s side believe they can handle the dew even if sent in to bat first.
The equation sounds simple: if batting first, aim for at least 20 above par. If bowling second, ensure your seamers are drilled in gripping and delivering the old ball. Of course, that is far easier said than done.
3rd ODI, IND vs SA: VIZAG PITCH AND CONDITIONS
When Visakhapatnam hosted Women’s World Cup fixtures in October, it offered a generous batting strip — but dew proved decisive. India could not defend 330 against Australia here.
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Both India and South Africa observed heavy dew during Friday’s training ahead of the series finale, reinforcing the belief that the toss carries enormous weight once again.
Weather conditions are set fair on Saturday, with no rain interruptions forecast in Vizag.
India have won seven of their ten ODIs at this venue, but their last outing here in 2023 ended in misery — bowled out for 112 and beaten by Australia by ten wickets.
3rd ODI, IND vs SA: TEAM NEWS
Washington Sundar has struggled to justify his middle-order promotion at Nos. 5 and 6. His one off eight balls after walking in following Kohli and Gaikwad’s tons in Raipur drained momentum from India’s innings. With the ball, in dewy evenings, he has barely been required.
India may consider Tilak Varma in Sundar’s place for this decider.
South Africa have injury concerns of their own — key pacer Nandre Burger and middle-order batter Tony de Zorzi are both doubtful. Ottneil Baartman is a ready replacement for Burger, but the Proteas must decide how to plug the de Zorzi gap if he is unfit.
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Ryan Rickelton, dropped to accommodate Quinton de Kock’s comeback at the top, is an option — but can he slot into the middle order, or will South Africa turn to the inexperienced but specialist Rubin Herman?
India predicted XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (captain and wicketkeeper), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.
South Africa predicted XI: Quinton de Kock (wicketkeeper), Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (captain), Matthew Breetzke, Ryan Rickelton, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Baartman.
IND v SA: WHAT TO EXPECT FROM 3rd ODI?
Kohli and Rohit fireworks?
The senior duo would love to sign off in style. Kohli has rolled back the years with consecutive centuries and is eyeing a hat-trick of ODI tons for just the second time in his career. Rohit, prolific in Australia last month, will be itching to respond after a rare failure in Raipur.
Heat on Gautam Gambhir?
The pressure is building on India’s head coach after a 0–2 defeat in the Tests. Another loss here would intensify scrutiny — it would be three defeats in four bilateral ODI series under his tenure, with the sole win coming against England earlier this year.
Can the young bowling group step up?
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India are without Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, both rested, and don’t have Mohammed Shami’s experience to lean on. Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh and Prasidh Krishna must rise to the challenge if India are to halt South Africa’s charge.
Will Yashasvi Jaiswal find rhythm?
Handed a golden opening role alongside Rohit in Shubman Gill’s absence, he has looked scratchy with scores of 18 and 22. Can he rediscover his spark and make a statement? With Ruturaj Gaikwad breathing down his neck, time might be running out.
IND vs SA, 3rd ODI Prediction
India are desperate to claim this series after losing the Tests. But desperation can cloud judgement — especially when conditions exert such influence. South Africa may just hold the edge heading into this finale.
- Ends