India A look to maintain momentum

The sight of a young Indian team lifting the ICC World Twenty20 against all odds will no doubt make a significant impact on another young outfit set to take on South Africa A in the three one-dayers, the first of which is scheduled in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. India A were victorious in the two Tests by a margin of 1-0, after poor weather halted South Africa's ambitions of leveling the series in Dharamsala.

The momentum is with the Indians, particularly after their thumping victory by an innings and 242 runs in the first Test in Delhi. However, they will need to guard against a much stronger South African outfit, with a handful of players from the Twenty20 squad - Johan van der wath, Gulam Bodi, Thandi Tshabalala and Albie Morkel - joining the team. With a few senior players having left for the Tests in Pakistan, players like Morkel - who came of age in the ICC World Twenty20 - and van der Wath are almost certain to make the final XI.

Suresh Raina, starved of match practice, would be the player to look out for among the Indians. Left out in both Tests, he has an opportunity here to prove his match fitness to the national selectors when they sit down to pick the Indian squad for the last four ODIs of the series against Australia. The South Africans would also target Parthiv Patel, the wicketkeeper batsman who has been in sparkling form with the A side right through the tours of Zimbabwe and Kenya. The one-day squad is on a high after beating Sri Lanka A to win the triangular tournament in Kenya last month.

The Indian batting though is yet to be tested, after they were denied a hit in Dharamsala. The three-match series promises to be a lot more competitive than the Tests and with senior side set to play 12 back-to-back one-dayers, the selectors will keep an eye on the progress of several youngsters.

South Africa A Boeta Dippenaar (capt), Yusuf Abdullah, Gulam Bodi, Johan Botha, Werner Coetsee, Friedel de Wet, Rory Kleinveldt, Charl Langeveldt, Albie Morkel, Justin Ontong, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Thandi Tshabalala, Thami Tsolekile (wk), Johan van der Wath, Morne van Wyk

India A Mohammad Kaif (capt), Suresh Raina, Parthiv Patel (wk), Manoj Tiwary, Ishant Sharma, Subramaniam Badrinath, Cheteshwar Pujara, Arjun Yadav, Yo Mahesh, Praveen Kumar, Pankaj Singh, S Anirudha, Abhishek Nayar, Karan Goel, Pragyan Ojha