3 things India need to do right in the 2nd ODI vs South Africa ft. KL Rahul's batting position

India are on the back of a 17-run win over South Africa in the first ODI of the three-match series, but they can't afford to rest on their laurels. When the Men in Blue face off against the Proteas in Raipur on Wednesday, December 3, they will need to be at the top of their game.

India are under pressure at the moment, owing to a poor run of form in the longer formats. They are on the back of an ODI series loss to Australia, and their Test form has been nothing short of shocking. The hosts will need to be spot-on from a tactical perspective if they are to seal the series outright.

India's squad for the South Africa ODI series: KL Rahul (c), Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Tilak Varma, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Prasidh Krishna, Arshdeep Singh, Dhruv Jurel.

South Africa's squad for the India ODI series: Temba Bavuma (c), Ottneil Baartman, Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Quinton de Kock, Tony de Zorzi, Rubin Hermann, Keshav Maharaj, Marco Jansen, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Ryan Rickelton, Prenelan Subrayen.

On that note, here are three things India need to do right in the second ODI against South Africa.

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#3 India can't afford to play around with KL Rahul's batting position

Asia Cup Cricket - Source: Getty

When asked about whether he enjoys batting at No. 6 in the post-match presentation of the previous game, KL Rahul meekly stated that it's the role that has been given to him. One could perhaps read between the lines and understand that he isn't exactly happy with the position.

And rightfully so - Rahul has been excellent at No. 5, and it's hard to see how Washington Sundar will immediately adjust to a role he has rarely encountered over the last few years. The keeper-batter needs time to get set, and having him as a weapon through the middle overs would be a better idea than keeping him for the death.

Whether Sundar is the right man to feature alongside Ravindra Jadeja in the lower-middle order is another question altogether, but there's no doubt that India shouldn't tinker with Rahul's position. He's too good a batter to not be given a good chunk of overs.

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#2 The hosts will need to be wary of Raipur's pitch

India v Australia - T20I Series: Game 4 - Source: Getty

In the only ODI played in Raipur till date, India managed to skittle New Zealand for just over 100. They chased down the total quite comfortably, with batting becoming easier in the second innings.

On Wednesday, India will need to be wary of the wicket dished out at the venue. A flat track was on offer in Ranchi, and batters from both teams were able to hit through the line and on the up across phases. In the second ODI, however, that might not be possible.

India have batting only until No. 7, and they might not be able to afford the risk of a high-octane approach on a pitch that is even slightly more two-paced than the one in the previous game.

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#1 India need to hit Keshav Maharaj out of the attack

England v South Africa - 1st Metro Bank ODI - Source: Getty

Like they did with Prenelan Subrayen in Ranchi, India will need to put Keshav Maharaj under serious pressure. The left-arm spinner is expected to return to the fold for the second ODI, and the hosts will do well to force the captain to do something different with his bowling changes in the middle overs.

Maharaj didn't seem to be in great rhythm during the preceding Test series and was comfortably outbowled by Simon Harmer. If India can get a few boundaries off him and hit him out of the attack in his first spell, they could dictate the tempo of the innings. This would become even more important if they chase, given the dew factor.