India VS South Africa ODI: Will this series help India or will it benefit South Africa?

However, for some inexplicable reason, there is also a three-match ODI series set to take place as a part of this tour. 

A newly formed Indian team, led by Shikhar Dhawan, will try to make a mark and qualify for the 50-over World Cup next year.

There hasn’t been a lot of ODI cricket played this calendar year, primarily because this is a World Cup year for the game’s shortest format. 

But all that does is make the scheduling of the series come across as even more illogical – especially since, for India, there is very little at stake. 

The players who are part of the squad for the T20 World Cup have already jetted off to Australia. The players who stayed back home for the series are second-choices, reserve players, or players who have largely been in the scheme of things in the ODI format. 

But what are the stakes for the Indian players? They already know they aren’t a part of the T20 World Cup, and everyone knew they were in the scheme of things in ODI cricket, at least. 

What’s more, it’s not like India needs to qualify for the 2023 ICC World Cup, either. Hosts are granted automatic qualification regardless of where they finish in the ODI Super League, the ICC’s new method for stuff. 

However, the situations are very different for the South African side. They are playing with a full-strength team, and they are currently 11th in the Super League standings, meaning they aren’t guaranteed automatic qualification into the World Cup. 

For them, the points on offer are of significant importance due to their lack of ODI cricket and their poor form in the long white ball format – they’ve lost seven of their 13 ODIs this year. 

There’s also the fact that South Africa is a settled unit. They’ve played with more or less the same core group of players for most of their series, which will help them. 

It is especially true against the Indian team that appears cobbled together at best – even though the quality and talent in the hosts’ squad are evident for all to see. 

But letting the South African squad play more cricket together while India’s core – which, it is worth noting, played very little cricket together – is off to Australia will not work out in India’s favour. 

It will help the South Africans even further – because it gives them valuable time out in the middle, even if it is in a different format. 

Yes, India needs to maintain bilateral ties, and the BCCI and the CSA share strong relations. But could this ODI series not have waited until the end of the World Cup or any other time? 

Sadly, it seems unlikely – mainly due to how packed the cricket calendar is. And so the series must go ahead as pointless as it is for the Indian players. 

Follow all of today's Cricket matches on our Live Match Centre