Indian skipper Virat Kohli on Wednesday said the experimentation in the middler order will continue for some more time though the conditions make Ajinkya Rahane a strong No 4 candidate for the World Cup in England next year.
He also said that there is already a core group of players in place, and only the number four spot really needs to be sorted out.
South Africa take on India in the first of the six-match ODI series in Durban on Thursday. The Indian team had an optional practice session on Wednesday, with Kohli and pace bowlers taking a day off.
"We have explored many options in the last few months. We don't have too many series and too much time left before the World Cup, so we want to explore all the options before the World Cup," Kohli said. "I had said earlier that Ajinkya Rahane would be looked at as a third opener but that situation can change because he has batted at No 4 in a World Cup (in 2015) before. These conditions are such that you get to play fast bowling throughout the innings so he becomes a strong candidate for No 4.
"Other than him we have Shreyas Iyer and Manish Pandey. We don't want to be one-dimensional. It depends whose technique is more suited to what spot especially in that particular country. All options are open," he said further.