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Ahead of the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi, India will look to bounce back after a disappointing 2-0 defeat in the Test series. KL Rahul, who will lead the side in the absence of regular captain Shubman Gill, confirmed clarity over his own batting position.
Speaking about where he will bat, Rahul said at the pre-match press conference, "Like I said to him (Gautam Gambhir), it's not finalised exactly what the XI will be, but I will be batting in the same position. I've been playing at number 6 since the Champions Trophy. I will be batting there, and obviously there are all-rounders like (Ravindra) Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Nitish Reddy. We have all these options. We'll see what the best XI is and we'll make that decision in the evening, and you'll find out tomorrow." Rahul has scored 243 runs at number six in 10 innings, with a highest score of 42 not out and an average of 40.50. When asked about the pitch conditions in Ranchi, Rahul admitted the team had not yet had a close look at it. "Honestly, I haven't seen it yet but looking at the history of ODIs, we are expecting good wickets and good runs. There will be some dew factor in the second innings. These are the few things that we could assess yesterday. So, we will try and manage our team and tactics in a way where it gives us the best chance to win," he said. India and South Africa play the first of the three ODIs on Sunday at JSCA Stadium in Ranchi. With Gill and Shreyas Iyer sidelined due to injuries, India have revamped their squad for the SA ODIs. Tilak Varma and Ruturaj Gaikwad have been recalled, while Rishabh Pant and Yashasvi Jaiswal also return to bolster the batting lineup. Ravindra Jadeja has been brought back, and Axar Patel, who played in the Australia series, has been rested for the time being. In the absence of Gill, the regular India captain, KL Rahul will be the stand-in skipper of Team India. He will be under pressure to lead the team to a series victory after their abysmal home series loss to the South Africans. (ANI)
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