India vs South Africa 3rd ODI Match Preview – 6th December 2025

Match Details

• Match: 3rd ODI of the South Africa Tour of India 2025
• Teams: India vs South Africa
• Date: Saturday, 6th December 2025
• Time: 08:00 AM BST / 01:30 PM IST
• Venue: Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACAVDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
• Live Streaming: Jio Hotstar
• Live Broadcast: Star Sports

Head-to-Head Record (ODI)

• Total Matches Played: 96
• India Wins: 41
• South Africa Wins: 52
• No Result: 3

South Africa holds a slight edge in the head-to-head record, and they have already leveled this ODI series with a thrilling win in the second match in Raipur.

Pitch and Weather Conditions

The Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACAVDCA Cricket Stadium is a high-scoring venue that has historically favored the batters. On average, the first innings score at this venue is around 233, and the second innings total is about 213. The pitch is expected to offer a fair balance between bat and ball, with spinners gaining a slight edge in the middle overs.

Weather Forecast:

• Temperature: 19°C to 28°C
• Conditions: Sunny, no chance of rain

Team Form and Key Players

India

India had a strong start in the series with a commanding total in the first ODI, but their fielding let them down in the second match as they failed to defend a score of 359. However, the batting line-up has been in great form, with Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rohit Sharma all in top gear.

Key Players to Watch:

• Virat Kohli: In sublime form with back-to-back centuries.
• KL Rahul: The finisher with a strike rate to match.
• Arshdeep Singh: Has been India's most economical bowler and a key wicket-taker.
• Kuldeep Yadav: The spin threat with 5 wickets in the series.

South Africa

South Africa have been impressive in this series, especially in the second ODI where they chased down 359 with some clinical batting. Matthew Breetzke and Dewald Brevis were instrumental with the bat, while Marco Jansen and Keshav Maharaj continued to be reliable with the ball.

Key Players to Watch:

• Matthew Breetzke: Has been the standout performer with the bat.
• Dewald Brevis: Provides a good strike rate in the middle overs.
• Marco Jansen: A consistent wicket-taker with a good death-overs record.
• Keshav Maharaj: A key spin threat for South Africa.

Squads

India (15 Players)

• KL Rahul (c) & (wk)
• Dhruv Jurel (wk)
• Rishabh Pant (wk)
• Yashasvi Jaiswal
• Virat Kohli
• Rohit Sharma
• Suryakumar Yadav
• Ravindra Jadeja
• Ravichandran Ashwin
• Axar Patel
• Washington Sundar
• Arshdeep Singh
• Harshit Rana
• Kuldeep Yadav
• Prasidh Krishna

South Africa (15 Players)

• Temba Bavuma (c)
• Quinton de Kock (wk)
• Rubin Hermann (wk)
• Ryan Rickelton (wk)
• Aiden Markram
• David Miller
• Beuran Hendricks
• Dwaine Pretorius
• Keshav Maharaj
• Marco Jansen
• Anrich Nortje
• Tabraiz Shamsi
• Matthew Breetzke
• Dewald Brevis
• Wayne Parnell

Venue Statistics (2015–2025)

• Average First Innings Score: 233
• Wickets per Innings: 7.40 (1st), 5.80 (2nd)
• Win Percentage (Batting First): 50%
• Win Percentage (Batting Second): 50%

Spinners have historically performed better than fast bowlers at this venue.

Match Prediction

• Toss Prediction: South Africa
• Win Prediction: India
• Top Batter (Runs): Virat Kohli (India), Matthew Breetzke (South Africa)
• Top Bowler (Wickets): Arshdeep Singh (India), Marco Jansen (South Africa)
• Most Sixes: Virat Kohli (India), Dewald Brevis (South Africa)
• Player of the Match: Virat Kohli (India)
• Team Scores (Batting First): India 300+, South Africa 300+

Conclusion

This 3rd ODI promises to be a thrilling encounter between two evenly matched sides. While South Africa look to continue their momentum from the previous match, India will be eager to regain control of the series. With the venue favoring batters, it could be a high-scoring match with the result hinging on the final overs. Both teams have quality players across the board, and we can expect a close contest.

Final Prediction: India to win by a narrow margin.
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