India vs South Africa 3rd ODI: Rain threat over series decider

It will be an emotional homecoming for Dhawan as captain but inclement weather in Delhi could disrupt plansNEW DELHI: Shikhar Dhawan slogged for years in the anonymity of domestic cricket. The Ferozeshah Kotla was his home during those anxious years waiting to break into the Indian team. Two months away from turning 37, Dhawan has landed in Delhi as captain of the Indian team, although one widely referred to as a 'second-string' one. To his credit, this team has held its own against a full-strength South African team, heading into the third and final ODI with a 1-1 scoreline.

It's an emotional homecoming for Dhawan. The prospect of leading an Indian team on his home turf is just the shot in the arm he needed at this late stage of his career. Dhawan has always been a happy-go-lucky character who has seldom showed the pressures he must have been under at different stages of cricketing journey. He has been forever subjected to proving a point and justifying his place in the Indian team. That he has been one of India's most prolific scorers in big tournaments has been lost in the deluge of constant cricket.

Dropped from the T20scheme of things, ODI cricket is all that Dhawan has left to assert his presence. With the ODI World Cup in India a year away, Dhawan is still not guaranteed a spot. Consistency has never been a major problem for him. Yet, he seems to have dropped low in the pecking order. He has not hit his stride yet in this series, scoring four and 13 in the previous two matches. Thus, it will be tough to find someone more eager to take the field on Tuesday than Dhawan himself. But the weather poses a big threat.

On the eve of the match, there was tension in the air around the Arun Jaitley Stadium. The weather