South Africa vs. India: Highlights, Scorecard and Report from Cricket World Cup
India hammered South Africa by 130 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in an engrossing World Cup encounter.
After winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s team decided to bat and they racked up an imposing total of 307-7 thanks to an exemplary knock of 137 from opener Shikhar Dhawan.
The Proteas' response was sapped of momentum after losing some early wickets, with Faf du Plessis' half-century the standout effort on an otherwise disappointing day for them; South Africa were bowled out for 177.
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| Ro Sharma | run out (De Villiers) | 0 | 6 | |
| Dhawan | c Amla | b Parnell | 137 | 146 |
| Kohli | c du Plessis | b Tahir | 46 | 60 |
| Rahane | lbw | b Steyn | 79 | 60 |
| Raina | c Sub | b M Morkel | 6 | 5 |
| Dhoni | c De Kock | b M Morkel | 18 | 11 |
| Jadeja | run out (De Villiers) | 2 | 4 | |
| Ashwin | not out | 5 | 5 | |
| Shami | not out | 4 | 5 | |
| Extras | 2nb 6w 0b 2lb | 10 | ||
| Total | for 7 (50.0 ovs) | 307 | ||
| Steyn | 10.0 | 1 | 55 | 1 |
| Philander | 4.0 | 1 | 19 | 0 |
| Duminy | 7.0 | 0 | 39 | 0 |
| M Morkel | 10.0 | 0 | 59 | 2 |
| Tahir | 10.0 | 0 | 48 | 1 |
| Parnell | 9.0 | 0 | 85 | 1 |
Despite winning the toss and deciding to bat on an accommodating MCG wicket, things didn’t start particularly well for India. They lost Rohit Sharma for a duck in the second over to a run out and they quickly came under pressure as the Proteas smelt blood. But alongside Virat Kohli, Dhawan went about constructing a total for his team.
The situation dictated that Dhawan play cautiously initially, but he was serene for the 43.4 overs he was at the crease. His 137 from 146 balls was the bedrock of the Indian effort and as noted by cricket statistician Mohandas Menon, when the opener makes a big score, typically it bodes well for his nation:
The studious displays of Dhawan and Kohli—who made 46 from 60—allowed the rest of this India team to play aggressively despite the early loss of Sharma. That was wholly apparent when Ajinkya Rahane strode to the crease with obvious intentions of scoring quickly.
His blistering 79 from 60 balls was a thoroughly entertaining watch and helped push India toward the coveted mark of 300. Cricket commentator Harsha Bhogle paid tribute to his effort:
Dale Steyn eventually put an end to Rahane’s big hitting when the fast bowler had him pinned in front. Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja failed to make much impact during their late cameos, but a quick-fire 18 from Dhoni helped India to a final total of 307-7.
Despite Dhawan’s heroics, cricket expert Paul Dennett thought the ponderous pace of his hundred could ultimately cost India a victory:
That’s definitely a fair assessment when you consider the batting firepower that the Proteas boast, but India quickly halted any chances of a scintillating start from South Africa.
| Amla | c Shami | b M Sharma | 22 | 28 |
| De Kock | c Kohli | b Shami | 7 | 15 |
| du Plessis | c Dhawan | b M Sharma | 55 | 71 |
| De Villiers | run out (M Sharma) | 30 | 38 | |
| Miller | run out (U Yadav) | 22 | 23 | |
| Duminy | c Raina | b Ashwin | 6 | 15 |
| Parnell | not out | 17 | 28 | |
| Philander | lbw | b Ashwin | 0 | 2 |
| Steyn | c Dhawan | b Shami | 1 | 7 |
| M Morkel | b Ashwin | 2 | 5 | |
| Tahir | lbw | b Jadeja | 8 | 10 |
| Extras | 0nb 6w 0b 1lb | 7 | ||
| Total | for 10 (40.2 ovs) | 177 | ||
| U Yadav | 6.0 | 0 | 34 | 0 |
| Shami | 8.0 | 1 | 30 | 2 |
| M Sharma | 7.0 | 0 | 31 | 2 |
| Jadeja | 8.2 | 0 | 35 | 1 |
| Ashwin | 9.0 | 0 | 36 | 3 |
| Raina | 1.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Mohammed Shami had the dangerous Quinton de Kock caught at mid-off early on for just seven, while the usually imperious Hashim Amla made just 22 before he was snaffled on the boundary off the bowling of Mohit Sharma.
That dismissal brought AB De Villiers to the crease. The Proteas’ skipper and Du Plessis went about rebuilding the South Africa effort as both played with patience with the odd dash of aggression. They put together a partnership 68, but disaster struck for De Villiers, as he was run out by Sharma for a meagre 30 runs.
It was a massive wicket for India and as we can see courtesy of Fox Sports Cricket, Dhoni did superbly to swipe the bails off in time:
With frustration levels rising Du Plessis tried to up the ante, but he followed De Villiers back to the dressing room not long after for 55 when he played an erratic shot down the throat of mid-off. When JP Duminy was caught at slip trying to reverse sweep, South Africa were 147-5 and staring down the barrel of a defeat.
By this point, South Africa were starting to unravel. David Miller suffered the same fate as De Villiers after he was run out pushing for a second run, while Vernon Philander lasted just two balls before being pinned in front for a duck by Ravichandran Ashwin.
Former Indian player Aakash Chopra paid tribute to the work done by his country in the field:
India rattled off the last three wickets for minimal damage, with Ashwin and Shami proving too good for the South Africa lower order. The Proteas were eventually all out for 177, resembling a very well beaten team.
To notch a win over a rival for the title at this early stage will give this India team a major boost as they look to defend their crown.
Not only did they build their innings superbly batting first, there was also a real intensity about their bowling and a clinical edge to their fielding; the latter in particular is hugely encouraging going forward given their previous struggles.
South Africa will be disappointed, but they'll bounce back from this and still qualify for the quarter-finals. They let India off the hook in this one after some excellent early pressure, but this is a team that has showcased a patent for responding well to setbacks and they’ll have learnt plenty of lessons from this clash.
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