Vernon Philander, the perfect side-kick to Dale Steyn for India series

With three wickets in South Africa's victory in the final One-Day International of the three-match series against Pakistan at the Centurion, Vernon Philander earned his first ever Man of the Match award in the 50-over format of the game. While he has been nothing short of a revelation in Tests after making his debut in 2011, it has taken Philander some time to find his footing in ODIs.

Bagging figures of three for 26 -- his best against Pakistan and second-best overall -- Philander, with his disciplined wicket-to-wicket endurance, is a perfect side-kick to the fiery and more aggressive Dale Steyn who will take centre-stage when India arrive in South Africa. The hosts' Test credentials are beyond doubt at the moment but inconsistent performances in ODIs have left them with a lot of room for improvement.

Philander may not be one of the quickest bowlers around but with 95 wickets in just 18 Tests, he has been as incredible asset to his side. Credited for being the second-fastest bowler to pick up 50 Test wickets (in seven Tests), Philander's ability to swing the ball both ways coupled with immense stamina to bowl long spells is likely to put the young Indian batsmen in a spot of bother.

Having bagged only his second-best figures in ODIs since making his debut way back in 2007, the 28-year-old will go into the three-match ODI series against India starting December 5 with a lot of confidence and the hope to rattle the Indian batsmen who have been phenomenal in the recent past.