South Africa v India: World Cup betting preview, tip, team news & TV details

TV: Sky Sports Cricket / Main Event, 10.30am Wednesday

The Rose Bowl

A shock defeat to Bangladesh has left South Africa's World Cup prospects hanging by a thread and they could be put on the brink of elimination by an India team looking to make a statement in their tournament opener.

Virat Kohli's men will be the last of the ten sides in England and Wales to launch their campaign and they are expected to do so in style. Bookmakers rate them 1-2 to defeat the Proteas at the Rose Bowl.

India are among the favourites to lift the trophy for the third time and will be encouraged by market leaders England losing to Pakistan at Trent Bridge on Monday.

An out-of-sorts and injury-plagued South Africa side present them with the perfect opportunity to impress with bat and ball.

Best bets

Those forecasting an India summer at the World Cup will point to the Men in Blue's bowling attack as their trump card over market-leaders England and Australia.

But while so much has been made of electric paceman and number one ODI bowler in the world Jasprit Bumrah, it is easy to forget India also boast the fiercest leg-spin dup in world cricket.

Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have superseded Ravi Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja as India's chief middle-over dangermen and could cause problems for the Proteas.

While it was pace bowlers Jofra Archer, Liam Plunkett and Ben Stokes who dismissed the bulk of South Africa's batsmen in their tournament opener, leg-break bowler Adil Rashid put in a sublime performance with the ball.

He finished on 1-35 from his eight overs and it would be no surprise to see a player of similar style in Chahal extend on that performance.

Chahal closed on figures of 3-35 in India's final warm-up match with Bangladesh and demonstrated his ability to cope with batsmen coming at him, as Faf du Plessis's side will likely need to, having claimed 18 wickets in this year's Indian Premier League.

South Africa's bowlers have arguably failed to justify the hype surrounding them before the tournament, with openers Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi failing to take a wicket between them last time out.

Veteran Imran Tahir has led by example with the ball, taking 2-61 and 2-57 in their first two games.

Having faced India's big hitters in the IPL and finishing top wicket-taker in the competition this season, he could be value to claim the most scalps for the Proteas.

Recommendations
Y Chahal top India wicket-taker
1pt 7-2 general
I Tahir top South Africa wicket-taker
1pt 10-3 bet365

Team news
South Africa
After missing the opening two matches, pace bowler Dale Steyn has been ruled out of the rest of the World Cup. Lungi Ngidi (hamstring) is a doubt and Hashim Amla is recovering from concussion.

India
Bhuvneshwar Kumar could come back into the side after missing the warm-up match with Bangladesh.

Venue
This will be the Rose Bowl's first match at this summer's World Cup. Jos Buttler scored an unbeaten 110 against Pakistan there in England's pre-tournament series, while James Vince's knock of 190 in Southampton in the One-Day Cup highlights its credentials as a good batting surface.

Weather
Some cloud cover expected with highs of 15C.

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