Cardiff: Playing South Africa for the first time in a league-stage match in the ICC Champions Trophy - the previous two times had been semi-final fixtures in 2000 and 2002 - India made it a hat-trick of wins over this opposition with a 26-run triumph at Sophia Gardens on Thursday. The opening match of the 2013 tournament - and final instalment - saw India post 331 for 7 after AB de Villiers opted to field, thanks predominantly to Shikhar Dhawan's maiden ODI hundred and a welcome 65 from Rohit Sharma, and defend that with relative ease once a century stand for the third wicket was snapped.
In what was their first ICC ODI tournament without Sachin Tendulkar since 1987 - they were also without Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh - India were lifted by their makeshift opening pair. The team came into the tournament with warm-up wins over Sri Lanka and Australia, but there were concerns over the form of Dhawan and Rohit in conditions more suited to pace bowling. Those doubts were significantly dispelled as the pair laid the foundation for victory with a 127-run opening stand, with Rohit scoring a solid half-century and Dhawan a stroke-filled 114 off 94 balls.
South Africa fielded four fast bowlers and opted to field but the Powerplay overs consisted off a steady feed of short-pitched bowling which Rohit and Dhawan cashed in on. India's first boundary came in the fourth over, with Rohit beating mid-off with
10:54 PM, Jun 06, 2013
Cardiff: Shikhar Dhawan's maiden ODI century proved the crux of India's 331 for 7 in the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy, in what unfolded as 50 overs of two differing halves. The majority of the momentum lay with India as their makeshift opening pair of Dhawan (114) and Rohit Sharma (65) put on 127, but from 210 for 1 India were pulled back by South Africa and where...
06:57 PM, Jun 06, 2013
New Delhi: The Indian cricket team will play three Tests, seven ODIs and two Twenty20 matches during their tour of South Africa, slated to start at the end of this year. Cricket South Africa and the Indian Cricket Board were contemplating accommodating one more Test but things could not materialise as both boards decided to stick to ICC's Futures Tour Programme (FTP) The Indian team will be short on Test...
08:21 PM, Apr 12, 2013
The former India pacer held captain MS Dhoni's selection policy responsible for the team's ouster. ...
03:24 PM, Oct 03, 2012
Pakistan’s 32-run win over Australia has left MS Dhoni’s team with their task cut out in the final match of the Super Eights. ...
07:02 PM, Oct 02, 2012
Will Gary Kirsten save SA from being ridiculed as the perennial chokers or will MS Dhoni outwit India's ex-coach? ...
09:52 AM, Oct 02, 2012
Dhoni says how the pitch behaves in the Australia-Pakistan game will help him pick the XI against South Africa. ...
11:36 AM, Oct 01, 2012
London: With reputation in tatters, Indian hockey team would look to salvage at least one victory from their disastrous Olympic Games campaign that has pushed them into a playoff to avert the bottom place finish in the 12-team competition. India will take on South Africa on Friday in the playoff to decide the 11th and 12th place, a match-up similar to that of the 2006 World Cup in Monchengladbach, where...
09:38 PM, Aug 10, 2012
Chat with CNN-IBN Sports Editor Gaurv Kalra on India's victory at Eden Gardens and India's prospects in the ODIs. ...
11:02 AM, Feb 19, 2010
