Today, Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first against South Africa in their Pool B in yet another crucial World Cup contest between India and South Africa, with brilliant innings of 137 runs from Shikhar Dhawan India were 307/7 in 50 runs and set a target of 308 runs for SA. Dhawan slams seventh century against South Africa.
Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed for 79 by Dale Steyn. Shikhar Dahwan and Virat Kohli made 50-run stand for 2nd wicket. Skipper Dhoni scored 18 runs.
South Africa finished on 170/10 in 40.2 overs.There was hardly a bad ball bowled in the first three overs, and Quinton de Kock went manufacturing something in the fourth, driving Mohammed Shami straight to mid-off with the ball nowhere near driving length. Amla was handcuffed by the lack of easy boundaries before he top-edged a hook. The much-maligned bowling was doing the job for India once the batsmen had put runs on the board.At 40 for 2, Faf du Plessis and de Villiers came together. SA added 68 for the third wicket, but they had to earn every run. India hustled in the field and bustled with the ball. There was no freebie on offer. With the asking rate rising, every set of two-three dot balls imparted pressure. De Villiers’ response to four straight dots in the 23rd over was to risk an improbable second, but India’s fielding today gave away nothing. Mohit Sharma swooped in from deep cover, and threw right by the stumps. The asking rate was now close to 7.5, and South Africa now needed a miracle.
Miracles rarely happen in such high-profile clashes once you have put yourself under so much pressure. Wickets kept falling as South Africa looked to manufacture runs, and India’s reputation of good players of big matches in limited-overs cricket enhanced even further. They were now all but sure to face in quarter-final the fourth-placed team from the other group.
