Perhaps for the first time, India's pace strength is not centred on any one individual, or set of individuals.
Chennai Super Kings completed a fairy tale comeback from disgrace to glory, clinching their third Indian Premier League title after imposing all-rounder Shane Watson single-handedly hammered Sunrises Hyderabad into submission with a blazing hundred in the final, in Mumbai.
Mohammed Shami led India's fight-back with a career-best five-wicket haul as India snapped nine wickets for 53 runs to dismiss South Africa for 177 and avoid a humiliating whitewash in the three-match series.
Rajneesh Gupta throws up all the numbers from Test encounters between India and South Africa.
Earlier, on the back of Virat Kohli's 160 (not out), India reached a total of 303 for 6 in their 50 overs.
Hashim Amla says his team is not used to the hammering that it has received in the ongoing ODI series against India and the emphatic nature of defeat has taken the Proteas back to the drawing board ahead of the World Cup next year.
India's batting woes in South Africa continued as the visitors folded up for 187 on Day 1.
Faced with the prospect of a humiliating 0-3 series whitewash, a desperate India would be aiming to bounce back to winning ways against an unrelenting South Africa in the third and final Test, starting in Johannesburg, on Wednesday.
South African skipper Faf du Plessis said that the 2015 series loss in India on raging turners motivated their team to win the series in Centurion, on a pitch that 'should have suited the visitors more'.
"This will probably be the biggest World Cup, so there will be great expectations and I know we will do very well for the people of the West Indies," he added.
Shardul Thakur made his first appearance in the series count with a four-wicket haul as India yet again choked the South African batsmen, dismissing them for a below-par 204, in the sixth and final One-Day International, in Centurion, on Friday.
Some teams have completely overhauled their squads. Others retained their core at the IPL Players Auction.
The top order failed to fire in difficult conditions, but the bowlers stood out, not only performing with the ball but scoring vital runs as well.
Rajneesh Gupta profiles the cricketers playing the World Cup 2019.
Rajneesh Gupta presents all the fascinating career numbers of players in the World Cup.
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