Having staged a remarkable turnaround in their fortunes by drubbing Sri Lanka, India will seek to maintain their winning run when they take on an equally determined South Africa in the first cricket one-dayer on Wednesday.
Both the teams are high on confidence and will be keen to start the five-match series on a winning note in what promises to be a thrilling contest of skills and nerves at the newly constructed Rajiv Gandhi stadium.
India go into the series after having routed Sri Lanka with an emphatic 6-1 margin and are fully aware that the Proteas have also been enjoying a fine run having thrashed New Zealand 4-0 in the recent one-day series.
The Indian team appears complete at the moment with the return of Sachin Tendulkar following a long injury lay-off and fresh influx of youngsters has given more options for the team management.
Tendulkar's return to form seems to be a worrying factor for the South African team as their coach Mickey Arthur has warned that the master batsman holds the key to the series.
"Tendulkar is a key member of the team and he has a big role to play. We are aware of what he is capable of doing. But we want to win the one-day series in India and we will go all out," Arthur said.
{{/usCountry}}"Tendulkar is a key member of the team and he has a big role to play. We are aware of what he is capable of doing. But we want to win the one-day series in India and we will go all out," Arthur said.
{{/usCountry}}Arthur, who was appointed coach around the same time as Indian coach Greg Chappell with the 2007 World Cup in view, praised Chappell-Rahul Dravid combination and their inclination for experimentation by sending in Irfan Pathan and Mahendra Singh Dhoni at the number three slot.
"The things Dravid and Chappell were doing is good, but we back ourselves and are here to win," Arthur said.