Rohit Sharma scored his second hundred in a World Cup and 23rd overallIndia beat South Africa by six wickets to get off to a winning start at The Rose Bowl, Southampton on Wednesday on Wednesday. South Africa on the other hand, face an uphill battle after losing their third match in a row.
India win the match #SAvIND pic.twitter.com/mODpeJ1ElA
— MERSAL KICK (@kickparthiban) 5 June 2019
Toss: South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis won the toss and elected to bat against India in a World Cup match at the Rose Bowl on Wednesday.
First innings: South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis’ decision to bat under overcast conditions backfired with Jasprit Bumrah (10-1-35-2) setting the tone with twin blows in his opening spell. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal grabbed four wickets, helping India restrict South Africa to a sub-par 227 for 9 in their opening encounter of the World Cup here Wednesday.
Chahal (10-0-51-4) then tightened the noose on South African batsmen as they could never really force the pace during the middle overs. Incidentally, this was the best 10-over single spell (in terms of wickets taken) by any bowler in a World Cup game. South Africa’s total got some semblance of respectability courtesy Chris Morris (42 off 34) and Kagiso Rabada (31 not out off 35), who shared a much needed 66-run stand for the eighth wicket
Second innings: In reply, India were shaky at the start with the ball seaming around. Shikhar Dhawan departed early in the sixth over with just 13 runs on the board. Virat Kohli then tried to steady the innings along with Sharma but Andile Phehlukwayo got rid of the Indian skipper just after they crossed the 50-run mark.
🙌🙌#TeamIndia #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/7BxL81vGKr
— BCCI (@BCCI) 5 June 2019
As India was moving slowly towards the target, Rabada struck again in the 32nd over to send back KL Rahul (26) after his 85-run stand for the third wicket with Rohit Sharma. But MS Dhoni supported Sharma well to pull off a solid win for India.
Rohit Sharma – 💯 moment. #CWC19 pic.twitter.com/0xrwH4wSaI
— Patrick Noone (@PatrickNoone08) 5 June 2019
Gamechanger: Rohit Sharma’s brilliant hundred was the gamechanger of the match. ) Rohit curbed his natural flair for greater good as his gritty hundred complemented a superb bowling effort in India’s resounding six-wicket victory over a hapless South Africa in their World Cup opener here Wednesday.
It was an uncharacteristic 23rd ODI hundred for the Indian vice-captain (122 no off 144 balls) in a successful chase of 228 in conditions that were not exactly conducive for free-flowing strokeplay.
Scorecard: RSA 227/9 (50 ovs) | IND 230/4 (47.3 ovs)
