Big win for India, Sri Lanka survives scare
Print Edition
Defending champion India demolished South Africa by 130 runs, dealing the Proteas their heaviest World Cup defeat in front of almost 87,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday, while Sri Lanka survived a scare against Afghanistan.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan smashed a career-best 137 with 16 boundaries and two sixes while Ajinkya Rahane made 79 and Virat Kohli added 46 to the 107 he scored in India’s opening 76-run win over Pakistan.
With two wins from as many Pool B games, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men will move into the quarterfinals if they beat the United Arab Emirates in Perth on February 28.
South Africa, one of the pre-tournament favorite, has two points and next faces West Indies in Sydney on Saturday.
“It was a back-to-back good performance from both the bowling and batting unit, which is why we can enjoy it,” said India captain Dhoni.
“South Africa are such a good side, so I think that makes it an even more satisfying win. I felt the bowlers bowled well in the right areas and the spinners varied their pace.”
Dhawan, who made 73 against Pakistan, put on 127 for the second wicket with Kohli and 125 for the third with Rahane. He eventually fell in the 44th over when Hashim Amla, who had floored a difficult chance off Wayne Parnell when the batsman was on 53, picked up an easy catch at fine-leg off the same bowler.
When South Africa batted, chasing what would have been a record winning score at the MCG, Quinton de Kock, who had hit centuries in each of the last three one-dayers against India, was caught at mid-off for seven.
Amla made 22 when he top-edged seamer Mohit Sharma and Mohammad Shami, who had claimed de Kock’s wicket, took a catch at long-leg.
Skipper AB de Villiers made 30 in a 67-run stand for the third wicket with Faf du Plessis, who top-scored with 55.
But de Villiers was run out before Mohit Sharma had du Plessis caught at mid-off by Dhawan while Ravichandran Ashwin had JP Duminy picked up in the slips and then trapped Philander leg before.
In between, David Miller was run out for 22 to leave South Africa on 153 for seven in 34 overs. Shami then dismissed Steyn, Ashwin bowled Morne Morkel and Ravindra Jadeja claimed Imran Tahir leg-before.
Earlier, Mahela Jayawardene’s 19th ODI century rescued 1996 champion Sri Lanka as it beat Afghanistan by four wickets in Dunedin.
Set a modest target of 233 to win the Pool A game, Sri Lanka was stunned when openers Lahiru Thirimanne and Tillakaratne Dilshan both fell for golden ducks.
But the 37-year-old Jayawardene (100) and skipper Angelo Mathews (44) steadied the ship with a 126-run partnership before Sri Lanka won with 10 balls to spare.
It was Sri Lanka’s first win in two games following a 98-run defeat by New Zealand.
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