India Look to Seal Series as Raipur Hosts 2nd ODI

South Africa captain Temba Bavuma has said that facing an Indian team featuring Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma is not a new experience for his side, although their presence has been seen as a major boost for the hosts ahead of the second One-Day International. The match is scheduled to be played on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, with play expected to begin at the standard Indian ODI start time of 1:30 PM IST.

India entered the second match with a 1–0 lead in the three-match series after a 17-run victory in the opening ODI, which had been shaped by Kohli’s 52nd ODI century and a 57-run contribution by Rohit Sharma. Both senior Indian batters are expected to feature again in the Raipur game, as there have been no injury concerns or changes mentioned.

Bavuma said the experience of facing Kohli and Rohit had been part of South Africa’s past challenges, but their return to the XI had clearly strengthened India. “The inclusion of those two guys has bolstered their team. They bring a lot of experience and skill, and that can only benefit them. It is not something we are unaware of,” Bavuma said before South Africa’s training session at the Raipur venue.

The South African captain also recalled watching a young Rohit Sharma during the 2007 T20 World Cup, when he himself was still a school student. “These guys have been around for long. They are world-class players,” he said.

Bavuma, who missed the first ODI, took part in the training session in Raipur. His participation in the second ODI was not officially confirmed, but his presence at training suggested a high probability of his availability unless last-minute fitness issues arose.

He also addressed the recent discussion around the use of the word “grovel” by South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad during the second Test. Bavuma said there was nothing for him to clarify and added that the remark had not created any distraction for the team.

Young all-rounder Marco Jansen, who struck a 39-ball 70 in the opening ODI, was praised for his growing impact. Bavuma said Jansen’s contributions with both bat and ball had become central to South Africa’s performance. “Marco Jansen would definitely be in the top 10 among all-rounders in any format. His contributions have been immense, and he is getting more comfortable with every game,” he said.

Bavuma did not view the first ODI defeat as a major setback. “We were 17 runs short. The difference in the batting was not big. India played well and their two stalwarts stood up, but we were not far off,” he said.

The Proteas captain, who has secured 11 Test wins in 12 matches as leader, repeated his call for more Test cricket, especially against strong teams like India. He said decisions regarding scheduling were in the hands of officials at Cricket South Africa. “Many of us wanted the Test series to be three or four matches. India would have raised the standard, and it would have forced us to raise ours too,” he said. On a lighter note, Bavuma joked that some senior players might struggle with longer series as they were “getting a little bit old.”

India are expected to field a similar team featuring Kohli and Rohit, while South Africa are expected to depend heavily on Marco Jansen, with Bavuma likely but not officially confirmed for the second ODI in Raipur.