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India, South Africa seal victories
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VIRAT Kohli smashed a century to steer India to a 76-run victory over arch-rival Pakistan in a World Cup blockbuster watched by a potential global audience of 2.5 billion people yesterday.
Defending champion India started the 2015 edition by piling up 300 for seven at the Adelaide Oval, where almost 42,000 fans turned the occasion into a vibrant, colorful and noisy event, before Pakistan was dismissed for 224 to suffer a sixth World Cup loss against its neighbor.
India’s win meant that in all four games played so far at the World Cup being hosted by Australi and New Zealand the team batting first has triumphed, with all four victorious sides making 300-plus totals.
South Africa had earlier maintained that trend with a 62-run victory over Zimbabwe at Seddon Park in Hamilton thanks to a score of 339-4.
Kohli hit 107, becoming the first Indian to make a World Cup century against his country’s bitterest rival, as Pakistan wilted in the 40-degree Celsius heat.
“It’s one of the biggest wins of my career. It’s amazing to start like this,” said Kohli after his 22nd ODI century on the same ground where he made two centuries in a test match against Australia in December.
Suresh Raina contributed a breezy 74 off 56 balls with three sixes while opener Shikhar Dhawan made 73 at just over a run-a-ball.
Pakistan’s giant paceman Mohammad Irfan, the tallest international cricketer at 7 feet 1 inch, endured a torrid afternoon, finishing with figures of none for 58 off 10 overs and getting warned for running on the wicket.
Pakistan seamer Sohail Khan claimed five for 55 in his maximum 10 overs but his teammates always struggled to keep in touch with the required run-rate when they batted under the Adelaide floodlights with only skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (76) making a fifty.
Meanwhile, traditional under-achiever South Africa got off to a disastrous start against Zimbabwe in Hamilton before David Miller and JP Duminy staged a breathtaking rescue act.
From a precarious 83-4, South Africa raced to 339-4 with Miller smashing 138 for a hundred on World Cup debut, while Duminy scored 115 during the pair’s unbroken stand of 256 — a new fifth-wicket record in all one-day internationals.
The Proteas lost Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis and skipper AB de Villiers cheaply.
In reply, Zimbabwe was bowled out for 277 in the 49th over after Hamilton Masakadza (80) and opener Chamu Chibhabha (64) had briefly threatened an upset when they took their team to 191-2.
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