Cuttack (Odisha) [India], December 9 (ANI): South African skipper Aiden Markram won the toss and elected to bowl first against India in the first T20I at Cuttack on Tuesday.

With the T20 World Cup just two months away, this one is set to be a cracker of a five-match series between the T20 World Cup 2024 winners and hosts India and runners-up South Africa. With the WC set to take place in India and Sri Lanka, this serves as a valuable preparation for India.

Speaking out during the toss, Markram said, 'We are going to bowl first. Expecting conditions to be good here in India. Quite a bit of dew around, might be a constant throughout the game, but might get a bit worse later. (Quick turnaround time between formats) It is the way things work, lot of the games end up playing in the mind, need to get yourself in the right frame of mind. Fantastic build-up to the World Cup. From a condition's perspective, it is going to be great. Cannot simulate this in South Africa, looking to make the most of it.'

For India, vice-captain Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya make a return to playing XI after injuries, while those missing out are Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana.

Indian skipper Suryakumar said, 'That is okay (losing the toss again). I mean, we were a little confused looking at the wicket. Yesterday, it was looking a little more greener, but today we were a little confused. But it's okay, we are happy to bat first. It gives a good challenge to put runs on the board and come out here and defend. I mean, see, the dew factor becomes a little challenging for the bowlers - you cannot run away from the fact. But going from here on, I think that is going to remain for a really long time. It has been there for a very long time. So if we keep focusing on that, I think the main job will be in trouble in doing that. But yeah, let's not think about it and have it as a challenge.'

'We had a good series in Australia. Now we play five T20S against South Africa, and then we play against New Zealand, so 15 good T20s. I think it is good preparation. Same thing what we've been doing in the last few series: be fearless, enjoy the game, and be at it for the next three hours. It (selection) is a very good headache to have. But I will tell you the guys who are missing out: Sanju Samson, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana,' he concluded.

South Africa (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Aiden Markram(c), Tristan Stubbs, Dewald Brevis, David Miller, Donovan Ferreira, Marco Jansen, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla, Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh. (ANI)