The ebbs and flows of the Test series ultimately fell in South Africa's favour and, if the lessons of their limited-overs history against Sri Lanka are to be heeded, the hosts will need a top-end performance to undo Tillakaratne Dilshan's men in the five ODIs.

It's a chance for the Proteas - perennial underachievers in the limited-overs format - to trump a team far more formidable in the one-day than five-day game and, for their initial form before three consecutive ODI series defeat kicked in, last year's World Cup finalists.

For Sri Lanka, it's an opportunity to avenge their Test series defeat by adding to their five-nil whitewash of 2004 - the last time the teams met in a bilateral ODI series.

The makeup after the Proteas squad shows that they are in the early stages of preparation for the next World Cup. The game's showpiece - to be staged in Australia and New Zealand - will invariably be sans South Africa's old guard and so it's to Mark Boucher, Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis successors the selectors must look. The bowling ranks, meanwhile, are looking pretty sorted.

Whereas Dale Steyn fronts a seam attack lined with the sound services of Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Wayne Parnell, the promise of Rory Kleinveldt and the ultimate delivery of Morne Morkel (despite his lack of Test form), the batting ranks need to prove themselves against Sri Lanka in order to show they are the best picks for the long haul.

Whether the added responsibility of the captaincy and wicketkeeping duties will affect de Villiers' primary role with the willow, the validity of Albie Morkel's second chance, Kallis' ability to still make the grade in the shorter format and Faf du Plessis' selection ahead of David Miller and Colin Ingram are just some of the questions that need answering, or at least suggestion. The presence of Richard Levi and Dean Elgar would have aided rather than added to the conundrum, but the former's perplexing lack of favour with the selectors and the latter's injury leaves JP Duminy and Hashim Amla to get it right and Smith - ever in the firing line - to hang on for dear life.

Sri Lanka have largely stuck to the tried and tested that served them through the Test series. In come Upul Tharanga and Ajantha Mendis, though, with the latter likely to prove pivotal as the teams battle it out across some of South Africa's lesser grounds, which are always going to bring slower conditions, especially in Paarl.

Nuwan Kulasekara too will add considerable firepower to an attack that coughed up Thisara Perera's inadequacy and Dilhara Fernando's injury recently. Of course, Lasith Malinga is the standout feature of the visiting bowling ranks. ODI cricket's leading wicket-taker in 2011, the right-arm pace ace will be determined to right the wrongs of his Test retirement and Twenty20 globetrotting with a double impact in the one-dayers. If any bowler has troubled a Proteas batting unit consistently comfortable against fast bowlers, Malinga is the one.

As was the case in the five-dayers, so much will ride on the shoulders of Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. The latter in particular needs a big series to stave off his ODI doubters. Sri Lanka wouldn't be wrong in elevating him to the top of the knock if Dilshan and Tharanga aren't combining well enough. Meanwhile, this is another series for Dinesh Chandimal to prove that he is the real deal.

While disappointment would have been the ultimate emotion after their series loss in Cape Town, the tourists took a lot from Durban, where they landed their first Test win since Muttiah Muralitharan's retirement. In that Kingsmead triumph, there is a lot to build on - and this string of five ODIs against a Proteas setup in transition, opportunity certainly knocks.

Key Men
South Africa: This really must be last-chance saloon for Albie Morkel. Left out of the World Cup equation for good reason - shoddy form and questionable attitude - the all-rounder has insisted that he is in a different space mentally. This second chance is his to prove as much.

Sri Lanka: Nuwan Kulasekara has been out of international competition for a lengthy period, but back from injury and firing on all cylinders thanks to a decent showing in domestic cricket recently, the medium-pacer - formerly number one in the ICC ODI rankings - will be in pursuit of his former glory, and will do so across conditions well suited to his right-arm seam.

Last Five Head-To-Head Results
2009: Champions Trophy: Sri Lanka won by 55 runs in Centurion
2007: World Cup: South Africa won by one wicket in Guyana
2006: Champions Trophy: South Africa won by 78 runs in Ahmedabad
2006: Tri-series: Sri Lanka won by 76 runs in Hobart
2006: Tri-series: South Africa won by five wickets in Perth

Prediction
Although in transition, South Africa still sport considerably more firepower - in their tried'n'tested veterans and relative rookies - than Sri Lanka. In home conditions, too, they should take this series four-one or three-two.

Online betting firm Sky Bet have Sri Lanka at 7/4 to win the series and South Africa at 4/9. Visit Sky Bet for the latest cricket betting.

Squads
South Africa: AB de Villiers (captain, wicketkeeper), Hashim Amla, Johan Botha, JP Duminy , Faf du Plessis, Albie Morkel, Jacques Kallis, Rory Kleinveldt, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Lonwabo Tsotsobe.

Sri Lanka: Tillakaratne Dilshan (captain), Angelo Mathews, Dinesh Chandimal (wicketkeeper), Dilhara Fernando, Rangana Herath, Mahela Jayawardene, Kosala Kulasekara, Nuwan Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, Ajantha Mendis, Thisara Perera, Dhammika Prasad, Kumar Sangakkara, Upul Tharanga, Lahiru Thirimanne.

Fixtures
First ODI: Paarl, 11 January
Second ODI: East London, 14 January
Third ODI: Bloemfontein, 17 January
Fourth ODI: Kimberley, 20 January
Fifth ODI: Johannesburg, 22 January