As hosts trail 1-2 in 5-match series, Dhoni & Co. face must-win situation in fourth ODI today; Mishra available for selection
With India trailing 1-2 in the series, home team skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has no other option but to win the last two games and salvage some pride as the limited-overs leg of the Freedom Series gives way to the four-Test series.
Having lost the Twenty20 series 0-2, Dhoni faces one of the trickiest tests in his otherwise glorious international career in which he has led the country to some of the greatest victories in all formats. That said, Dhoni could not transform the limited-overs results into the Tests when at one stretch until retiring from the longer format, India were winless.
It is now or never when India take on South Africa in a must-win fourth ODI in Chennai on Thursday. Batting has let India down, except in the second ODI in Indore where skipper Dhoni played a gem of a knock and was followed by his bowlers successfully defending a not-so-tall total.
Frequent changing of batting order has not really helped India's cause. Perhaps, it is time for the Indian think-tank to stick to a settled line-up so as not to create uncertainty in the batsmen's minds.
If Ravichandran Ashwin's side strain is one of the many on-field worries for Dhoni, the problems have been compounded by off-field woes as leg-spinner Amit Mishra is facing assault charges with a woman filing a case against the leg-spinner at a Bengaluru police station.
Meanwhile, senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh said on Wednesday that Mishra is "available" for the fourth ODI and his selection in the XI would depend on the nature of the Chepauk wicket.
"Amit Mishra is definitely available for tomorrow (Thursday). If the management feels that he should be playing on this track, he will play," Singh said.
Run chases have been a problem of late for the Indian team as Dhoni himself has admitted that the side is yet to figure out as to who are the ideal players at Nos 5, 6 and 7. These are the three slots where batsmen who are capable of big hits and can be finishers in close run chases are preferred. However, with an ageing Dhoni preferring to bat up the order, Ajinkya Rahane is yet to find his mojo at No 5 or 6. Virat Kohli finally found form in the last game albeit in a losing cause.
Suresh Raina is another player who is not in good form. Only 3 runs from 3 matches including two zeroes is not a fair indication of one of India's better limited-overs batsmen. But the circumstances in which Raina went in to bat, with about 10 an over needed, he had nothing else but to go after the bowling straightaway.
A lot will depend on the start India get, what with Rohit Sharma in the form of his life in the shorter versions.
South Africa have their share of woes, though not on the field. Man of the match in the previous game, Morne Morkel has a sore leg and is unlikely to feature in the penultimate match while JP Duminy has been ruled out for three weeks with a hand injury. His replacement Dean Elgar will have his task cut in the next two games. Their major concern has been Hashim Amla's form. He has managed only 59 runs in three matches.
Teams (from):
India: MS Dhoni (C & WK), Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Axar Patel, Harbhajan Singh, Amit Mishra, Mohit Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sreenath Arvind, Stuart Binny, Ambati Rayudu, Gurkeerat Singh Mann
South Africa: AB De Villiers (C), Hashim Amla, Quinton de Kock (WK), Faf Du Plessis, Dean Elgar, David Miller, Farhaan Behardien, Chris Morris, Khaya Zondo, Aaron Phangiso, Imran Tahir, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Kyle Abbott, Kagiso Rabada
(With PTI inputs)
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