Having demolished and demoralised Bangladesh in the Test series, the Proteas should be looking to do the same in the ODIs, writes MARK SALTER.
Despite the visitors’ batting being reinforced by Shakib al Hassan (rested for the Test series), they are going to need a greater cohesion with the batting to put pressure on the Proteas.
Shakib was the mainstay of the Bangladesh innings in the warm-up game alongside Sabbir Rahman, but they were still restricted to a woefully weak 225. The Invitation side, powered by a 147-stand from youngsters Aiden Markram and Matthew Breetzke, broke the back of the chase and allowed JP Duminy and by AB de Villiers a short time in the middle.
The team taking the field on Sunday will be measurably stronger than the Invitation team, so the Bangladeshis will be up against it. The force is with the Proteas: a loss in this game will not go down well.
The rise and rise of Lucky Phehlukwayo
Andile Phehlukwayo has been introduced to Test cricket, where without setting the world alight he performed efficiently. But he made an immediate impact in the ODI stage and the spotlight was on him in only his second match as he took four Australian wickets for 44, and in his fourth game when he scored an unbeaten 42 in a match-winning partnership of 108 with David Miller (118).
After 17 matches he needs a series of good performances to cement his place in the team.
The weight on Kagiso Rabada
In the absence of the Proteas frontline attack of Dale Steyn, Morney Morkel, Vernon Philander and Chris Morris, Rabada, at 22, has become the senior bowler. He is willing and more than able to lead the pace attack, but the question remains: just how much can management load on to those young shoulders.
Miller’s moment
Miller has been a true and trusted servant of the Proteas in the ODI scene. He will play his hundredth match for the Proteas, having scored 2 396 runs at an average of just under 40 and a strike rate of over 102.
The venue
The Diamond Oval is very bat-friendly. The last time an ODI was played here was in 2013, but in List A matches played this year the average score batting first at this venue is 259, with four out of six matches won by the team batting first.
South Africa (probable): 1 Hashim Amla, 2 Quinton de Kock (wk), 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 JP Duminy, 5 AB de Villiers, 6 David Miller, 7 Wayne Parnell, 8 Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Andile Phehlukwayo, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Imran Tahir.
