After the T20I series between England and South Africa was tied at one game apiece, the ODI series promises to be as close if not closer. Of course, the five matches should give out a winner - apart from rained off games obviously - but the games could be a lot closer than what one thought originally.

For starters, Andrew Strauss will make a comeback to the side as the captain after missing out the T20Is. Rather strangely, the English side had gone into the shortest format with two different captain; Paul Collingwood and Alastar Cook. For the ODI series, they will have only one skipper, Strauss, as he will lead a more settled side into the five games.

The first ODI will be played at Johannesburg, in Wanderers. This is the same venue on which the English batsmen had smashed more than 200 and had the South Africans coming very close to chasing it down. The pitch shouldn't offer much to the bowlers, especially given that it is a day-night encounter, which would mean that there will not be any moisture on the wicket and hence the quick bowlers may not get too much help. Later on, the spinners may get some assistance from the pitch, but that would be for later.

England will be happy to have Kevin Pietersen back into the side. He did not play the first game in the T20Is, but he did have an outing in the second T20I and should make his comeback to the ODIs as well. The other batsman to look out for would be Eoin Morgan, who should be a part of the side after his master class in the first T20I which had taken the match away from South Africa.

Adil Rashid's start to the tour was nothing short of baptism by fire and he will be replaced by Graeme Swann, who had been rested. There wasn't too much help for the spinners on both the grounds, Jo'burg and Centurion, but for the ODIs, it could just be different.

The South Africans will continue to open with Graeme Smith and Loots Bosman. Bosman was the top-scorer in both the games, and looks every bit a part of the international arena. This should make him a virtual certainty. Jacques Kallis will, in all probabilities bat at number three, with the likes of Duminy, AB de Villiers and the all-rounders following them.

The toss may not make a lot of difference, and the team batting second should be able to chase down any total if they batted well.

Tag :- Alastar Cook   Andrew Strauss   England   Graeme Smith   Jacques Kallis   Kevin Pietersen   South Africa