by The third One Day International between India and South Africa will be played on Saturday, December 6, 2025, at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. This match will be the series decider, as both teams have won one game each so far. The home side, India, will be under immense pressure in this contest, as despite posting a mammoth total of 358 runs in the second ODI, they ended up on the losing side.
Gautam Gambhir’s future as the head coach of Team India could also depend on the outcome of this third ODI. If the home side loses the series, it might mark the end of Gambhir’s tenure as the head coach of the Indian limited-overs team.
Match Details
- Home Team: India
- Away Team: South Africa
- Venue: ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
- Date and Start Time: Saturday, December 6, 2025
- On-Field Umpires: Jayaraman Madanagopal, Sam Nogajski
- TV Umpire: Rod Tucker
- Match Referee: Richie Richardson
Predicted Playing XIs for the 3rd ODI
Below are the predicted playing XIs, which in our expert opinion, India and South Africa are likely to field in the third ODI on December 6, 2025:
India: Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, KL Rahul (c/wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna
South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Aiden Markram, Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Dewald Brevis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Nandre Burger, Lungi Ngidi
Pitch Report – ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam
The pitch at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam is expected to assist fast bowlers during the initial 10–15 overs. However, once the ball softens, batting will become easier on this surface. Spinners are likely to get some assistance later in the innings, and quality spinners like Kuldeep Yadav and Keshav Maharaj will undoubtedly extract some turn.
Just like the previous two ODIs, dew will once again play a crucial role in determining the outcome of this match, as batting will become significantly easier after 7:00 PM IST. Winning the toss and opting to field first would be a smart choice on this surface, as even a total of 350 runs could be within reach while chasing.
Weather Report – Visakhapatnam, December 6, 2025
The weather in Visakhapatnam on Saturday, December 6, 2025, is expected to remain mostly cloudy, with temperatures ranging between 21°C and 28°C. The chances of rain during the match are as low as 10%, so a full 50-over-per-side contest is likely.
Humidity levels are expected to be around 59%, with winds blowing at approximately 16 kph. However, the air quality is likely to remain unhealthy, with an expected AQI between 180 and 190.
