MS Dhoni
The 36-year old will be looking to start the tour on a strong note (Credits: BCCI)

With Team India set to take on South Africa in the first match of the six-match One-Day International series, veteran batsman MS Dhoni was seen hitting the nets hard.

The former India skipper now plies his trade in the limited-overs format only and will be looking to get in his best form ahead of the challenging series. The 36-year old was last seen in action during the T20I series against Sri Lanka in December where he had impressed with his batting.

SA vs IND 2018: Watch - MS Dhoni Sweats it Out at the Nets Ahead of Series-Opener

India, who lost the Test series, will be delighted to have their most experienced player back in the squad and his form will only make the team happier. Dhoni looked sharp while batting in the nets, middling every ball.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Wednesday posted a short video on their official Twitter account showing the keeper-batsman connecting the ball to good effect.

“When @msdhoni has a go at the nets #TeamIndia #SAvIND,” BCCI captioned the video.

Meanwhile, India will be looking to continue the momentum and win the upcoming first ODI, scheduled to be played at Kingsmead, Durban. After two heavy defeats in the first two Tests, Virat Kohli & Co. snatched the momentum in their favour by winning the third Test in Johannesburg convincingly and will be looking to make the most of it.

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SA vs IND 2018: Watch - MS Dhoni Sweats it Out at the Nets Ahead of Series-Opener

The Men in Blue will also have a chance to displace South Africa from the number one rank in ODIs. The Kohli-led side can move to the top of ICC rankings by winning the series 4-2 or better.

But while winning the series will be no mean task, the current team can certainly do it. The team is yet to lose an ODI series under Kohli’s captaincy. What helps their cause further is that South Africa star AB de Villiers will miss the first three ODIs due to a finger injury.

India had never won a bilateral ODI series in South Africa before, as they previously lost 2-5 in 1992-93, 0-4 in 2006-07, 2-3 in 2010-11 and 0-2 in 2013-14.

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