India opt to test bench strength while resting Poonam Yadav and Deepti Sharma
Sune Luus has returned from an illness to lead South Africa after missing the previous two games. On Wednesday, she called correctly and elected to bowl first again in Lucknow. Each of the four ODIs in the series so far has been won by the side chasing.
India, 3-1 down in the series, have pride to play for, apart from also trying to find a balance between winning and giving some of their youngsters an opportunity. There was a debut for allrounder C Pratyusha, while D Hemalatha, a middle order bat, got a look-in.
With the ball, Monica Patel, the left-arm seamer who debuted in the first ODI, returned as did Jhulan Goswami after missing the previous game due to a hand injury. Poonam Yadav, the legspinner, and Deepti Sharma, the allrounder, were given a rest.
South Africa made two changes. Luus returned in place of the big-hitting Lizelle Lee, who has been rested, while Nadine de Klerk came in for seamer Ayabonga Khaka.
India: Mithali Raj (capt), Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Punam Raut, Sushma Verma (wk), C Pratyusha, D Hemalatha, Priya Punia, Jhulan Goswami, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Monica Patel
South Africa: Sune Luus (capt), Laura Wolvaardt, Mignon du Preez, Lara Goodall, Anneke Bosch, Marizane Kapp, Sinalo Jafta (wk), Shabnim Ismail, Nadine de Klerk, Nondumiso Shangase, Tumi Sekhukhune
Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo