The stage is set for a mouth-watering decider as India vs South Africa 3rd ODI takes centre stage at the iconic Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg on December 3, 2025. With the three-match series beautifully poised at 1-1 after India’s commanding victory in Gqeberha and South Africa’s thumping reply in Paarl, everything rides on this final 50-over clash. One team will fly home with the bilateral trophy; the other will be left ruing what might have been. For cricket fans across the globe, this is exactly the kind of high-stakes limited-overs contest we live for.
A Series That Has Delivered Drama in Spades
The first two games have already given us everything we could ask for. India rode on centuries from Shubman Gill and KL Rahul in the opener to post 357 and then restricted South Africa despite a fiery Heinrich Klaasen hundred. In the second match, the Proteas came roaring back. Temba Bavuma found form with a classy 112, Tony de Zorzi smashed a maiden ton, and Tristan Stubbs provided late fireworks to help the hosts chase down 306 with seven wickets and nearly four overs to spare.
Now, as the caravan moves to the high-altitude cauldron of the Wanderers – affectionately known as the Bullring – both teams know that momentum can swing in an instant. One final time in 2025, India and South Africa will lock horns in coloured clothing before attention shifts to the red-ball leg.
Pitch and Conditions: The Wanderers Factor
Johannesburg’s altitude (around 1,750 metres above sea level) always makes the ball fly, and the pitch for the India vs South Africa 3rd ODI is expected to be another typical Wanderers belter. The average first-innings score in ODIs here over the last five years sits at a healthy 285–290, but on a good day teams regularly touch or cross 330–350.
Curators have left a decent covering of grass to hold the surface together, which means early swing and seam movement for the new ball bowlers. However, as the sun bakes the track and the ball gets older, stroke-making becomes significantly easier. Spinners might get a bit of grip in the middle overs, but death bowling under lights will once again be the ultimate test.
Weather-wise, we’re looking at a pleasant summer afternoon with temperatures around 28–30°C and only a 10–15% chance of rain. Dew could play a minor role in the second innings, which is why winning the toss and bowling first has been the preferred choice in recent night games at this venue.
Key Battles That Will Shape the Decider
Rohit Sharma vs Kagiso Rabada – The Clash of Captains
Rohit Sharma has been unusually quiet by his own lofty standards this series – 28 in the first game and a scratchy 19 in the second. The Indian skipper thrives on pace and bounce, and the Wanderers should suit his pull and lofted cover drives perfectly. But standing in his way is Kagiso Rabada, who has dismissed Rohit four times in ODIs already. Rabada’s ability to hit the deck hard and extract extra bounce at 145 kph+ makes this one of the most mouth-watering individual contests of the match.
Heinrich Klaasen vs Indian Spinners – Middle-Overs Fireworks Guaranteed
Klaasen has been South Africa’s X-factor throughout 2025. His blistering 117 off 74 balls in the first ODI reminded everyone why he is currently the most destructive middle-order batter in world cricket. Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel will be desperate to drag the length back and cramp him for room. If Klaasen gets going again, 350 could still be chased under lights.
Shreyas Iyer vs Keshav Maharaj – Finding the Balance Between Attack and Defence
Shreyas Iyer looked in sublime touch during his 82 in Paarl before falling to a tired shot against Maharaj. The left-arm spinner has dismissed him thrice in international cricket. With the Wanderers surface likely to offer turn later in the day, how Shreyas rotates strike and picks Maharaj’s variations could determine whether India post 320 or 370.
Team News and Likely Playing XIs
India have a few selection headaches. Arshdeep Singh leaked runs in the second game, and the management might be tempted to bring in either Mohammed Siraj (fully fit again) or young Prasidh Krishna for extra pace and bounce. Washington Sundar is also pushing hard for a recall if India want an extra bowling option on a ground where six frontline bowlers have often been preferred.
Probable India XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel/Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj/Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Avesh Khan/Prasidh Krishna.
South Africa, meanwhile, might stick with the winning combination from Paarl. The only debate is whether Lungi Ngidi, who missed the second ODI with a niggle, comes back in for Nandre Burger or if they trust the left-arm angle of Burger to trouble India’s right-handers early.
Probable South Africa XI: Temba Bavuma (c), Tony de Zorzi, Rassie van der Dussen, Aiden Markram, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Andile Phehlukwayo, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi/Nandre Burger.
What Each Team Needs to Do to Win
For India, the top order must fire in unison. Rohit, Gill and Kohli have only managed one big score between them across two games. If two of them convert starts into hundreds, the middle order of Rahul, Iyer and Pandya can take the total beyond 350 – a score that has never been chased successfully at the Wanderers in ODI history.
South Africa’s bowling hinges on Rabada and Maharaj. If they can strike early and keep India under 60 after ten overs, the middle overs become much easier to control. With the bat, Bavuma and de Zorzi have shown they can play the anchor role, but someone from the Klaasen-Miller-Jansen trio will have to play a match-defining knock if they bat second.
Fantasy Picks and Captaincy Choices
If you’re playing fantasy for the India vs South Africa 3rd ODI, here are some safe and differential picks:
- Captaincy options: Heinrich Klaasen, Shubman Gill, Kagiso Rabada
- Safe all-round picks: Hardik Pandya, Marco Jansen
- Differential gems: Tony de Zorzi, Axar Patel (if he plays), Tristan Stubbs
Why This Match Matters Beyond the Result
This series – short as it is – has been a perfect advert for bilateral ODI cricket. With the 2027 World Cup still two years away, both teams are experimenting with combinations, giving youngsters exposure, and fine-tuning strategies for subcontinental and high-scoring conditions. The winner of the India vs South Africa 3rd ODI will also take massive psychological momentum into the upcoming five-match T20I series and the all-important Test leg that follows.
Final Verdict
Everything points toward a run-fest, but the team that handles the new ball better and executes their plans in the death overs will lift the trophy. India have the slight edge in bowling depth and big-match experience, but South Africa at the Wanderers with a series on the line is an entirely different beast.
One thing is certain – when the first ball is bowled under floodlights on Wednesday evening, over a billion hearts in India and millions more across South Africa will be racing in unison. This is what cricket is all about.
Bring on the India vs South Africa 3rd ODI – may the best team win!
