Left-arm seamer Irfan Pathan [Images] is all set to be dropped for India's second cricket one-dayer against South Africa in Durban on Wednesday in Kingsmead where a sunny morning has raised prospects of a timely start to the day-night encounter.

It has been clear and bright since morning and even though there is humidity in the air, the game should be on. The opening tie of the five-match one-day series was washed out without a ball being bowled in Johannesburg on Sunday.

Pathan's omission implies that India would go into the game with four bowlers in Zaheer Khan [Images], Munaf Patel [Images], Ajit Agarkar [Images] and Harbhajan Singh [Images].

The fifth bowler's duties would be taken care of by the seam-up stuff of Sachin Tendulkar [Images] and off-spinner Virender Sehwag [Images], who is all set to take the field after recovering from a finger injury.

Pathan's inability to bowl in death overs must have cost him his place as is the fact that India wants to strengthen their batting by including a specialist batsman in the ranks.

As things stood hours before start of the game, Pathan, Dinesh Kaarthick, S Sreesanth [Images], Wasim Jaffer [Images] and Anil Kumble [Images] are set to be dropped.