CARDIFF, June 6: Opener Shikhar Dhawan bludgeoned his way to a maiden ODI century as a rejuvenated India kicked off their campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy with a comfortable 26-run victory over South Africa here today.
Chasing an imposing target of 332, South Africa were all out for 305. The Proteas lost three top wickets for six runs in the group B match.
The star of the show was Dhawan, who made 114 of a mere 94 balls to set the tone for India. The left-hander had scored 185 on his Test debut against Australia in March.
South Africa, who ran neck-and-neck in terms of runs with India till at least the 35th over, paid the price for losing far too many wickets after at least three middle-order batsmen frittered good starts.
India, on the other hand, profited after their openers Dhawan and Rohit Sharma (65) laid a solid foundation with an opening stand of 127. This was the biggest difference between victory and defeat. Dhawan was adjudged Man of the Match.
Robin Peterson’s departure in the 25th over opened the floodgates as South Africa lost three quick wickets, including the man who had the calibre to take the game to the wire, skipper A B De Villiers.
Two horrible mix-ups ruined the South African run chase. Peterson, who survived a run out chance when he was on 29, was not lucky the second time as a diving Ravindra Jadeja caught him well short after De Villiers refused to run.
The left-handed Peterson was out for 68 (72 balls, 6 x 4s) and his 124-run third-wicket partnership with De Villiers kept South Africa in the running even after the Proteas lost openers Hashim Amla (22) and Colin Ingram (6) to Indian pacers Umesh Yadav (2/75) and Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/49), respectively.
Peterson, struck in the elbow by a Yadav delivery when he was on 17, battled pain and stitched a confident stand with his captain till disaster struck. J P Duminy (LBW to Jadeja for 14) followed Peterson and then a rush of blood saw De Villiers throw his wicket away after a polished 70 off 71 balls, his 33rd ODI half-century.
At a time when South Africa needed to protect their wickets, De Villiers’ exit gave India a great advantage. He charged out to Yadav, tried to slap a short of length ball to mid-wicket but ended up top-edging to square leg, where Jadeja held an easy catch.
From 182 for four, South Africa collapsed to 188 for six in the 33rd over when David Miller was run out without facing a ball. Faf Du Plessis flicked Suresh Raina and turned back for a second run but Miller refused. Ishant had all the time in the world to do the needful from mid-wicket.
A 50-run seventh wicket stand between Du Plessis and Ryan McLaren (71 not out off 61 balls, maiden ODI half-century) raised some hopes for the South Africans but that was not to be. Du Plessis (30 off 23 balls) holed out to Raina at mid-off off Ishant Sharma (2/66), once again a reliable batsman paying for indiscretion.
South Africa thus became the first team to lose a match while chasing a score at Cardiff. All previous seven (completed) ODIs saw the team batting second emerge victorious. With their third victory in as many Champions Trophy games, India thus keep their all-win record intact against the South Africans.
Earlier, Dhawan’s century and his opening stand with Sharma helped India score a commanding 331 for seven. India were put into bat after skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni lost the toss in an overcast and chilly morning.
The morning session belonged to Dhawan. He was third out in the 38th over after scoring a well-paced 114, studded with 12 fours and a six. The only ‘life’ in his 94-ball innings came immediately after he scored his century. A B De Villiers missed a stumping chance after the left-hander stepped out to off-spinner J P Duminy and missed the line.
That blemish apart, Dhawan was the toast of the Indian crowd, almost 70 per cent of the 16000-strong turnout here. (PTT)
SCOREBOARD
India Innings: 331-7 (50)
Rohit Sharma c Peterson b McLaren 65
Shikhar Dhawan c sub (Aaron) b Duminy 114
Virat Kohli c Amla b Tsotsobe 31
Dinesh Karthik c de Villiers b McLaren 14
M S Dhoni c du Plessis b Tsotsobe 27
Suresh Raina c Duminy b McLaren 9
Ravindra Jadeja not out 47
R Ashwin run out 10
Bhuvneshwar Kumar not out 0
Extras: 14 b:0 lb:4 nb:2 w:8
Total: 331-7 (50) | Curr. RR: 6.62
Bowling: Morne Morkel 6.5-0-27-0, Lonwabo Tsotsobe 10-0-83-2, Rory Kleinveldt 10-0-81-0, Ryan McLaren 10-0-70-3, Robin Peterson 3.1-0-24-0, J P Duminy 10-0-42-1.
South Africa Innings: 305-10 (50)
Hashim Amla c Dhoni b Yadav 22
Colin Ingram c Raina b Kumar 6
Robin Peterson run out (Jadeja) 68
AB de Villiers c Jadeja b Yadav 70
Jean-Paul Duminy lbw b Jadeja 14
Faf du Plessis c Raina b I Sharma 30
David Miller run out (I Sharma) 0
Ryan McLaren not out 71
Rory Kleinveldt c Dhoni b I Sharma 4
Lonwabo Tsotsobe b Jadeja 3
Morne Morkel b Kumar 8
Extras: 9 b:0 lb:1 nb:1 w:7
Total: 305-10 (50) | Curr. RR: 6.10
Bhuvneshwar Kumar 7-0-49-2-1-0, Umesh Yadav 10-0-75-2, Ishant Sharma, 8-0-66-2, Ravichandran Ashwin 10-0-47-0, Ravindra Jadeja 9-1-31-2, Suresh Raina 6-0-36-0.
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