The first two ODIs between India and South Africa have been extremely thrilling. India drew blood in Ranchi, but South Africa struck back in Raipur with a stunning record chase. The standout performer has been the back-to-back centuries by Virat Kohli, while Ruturaj Gaikwad also scored his maiden ODI hundred in the second match providing a massive boost to India’s batting lineup. Yet, India’s bowling has looked underwhelming so far, poor plans and inconsistent execution hurting them in both games.
India Under Pressure After Test Series Loss
With the Test series already gone, India cannot afford to let the ODI series slip as well. The final match will be played at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, December 6, at 1:30 PM IST. Conditions played a telling role in the first couple of matches with heavy dew making life tough for bowlers while bowling second. The toss hence becomes all the more vital.
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Vizag Weather
The Visakhapatnam weather on Saturday is likely to remain clear with no threat of rain. The temperature may soar to about 26 degrees Celsius while humidity will be in the range of 60–65%. A moderate wind speed of about 14 km/h is expected through the evening.
Impact of weather on pitch conditions
The ACA-VDCA surface has normally been a batting-friendly wicket, and another high-scoring encounter probably over 300 runs is on the cards. Batters will enjoy the true bounce and pace on offer. Humidity in the evening can give some early swing to fast bowlers, but as the match will progress, dew will become the biggest factor. A wet outfield and slippery ball will make gripping difficult for bowlers, especially for the spinners, limiting their ability to extract turn or executing variations effectively.
So, given these conditions, bowling first will offer a clear advantage, as defending scores under heavy dew becomes extremely challenging.
