Dhoni & Co. defy history and statistics to overcome South Africa for first time in WC * Dhawan (137), Rahane (79) shine with bat while Ashwin (4/31) and pacers round off perfect day
As one Sunday merged seamlessly into another and as one distinctive shade of green made way for another, India went from tentative champions to overwhelming favourites in the space of less than seven hours. And in the process, they laughed out loud at all those cynics who had written them off at the start of the tournament.
As the bandwagon moved from the pristine Adelaide Oval to the cauldron that's the Melbourne Cricket Ground, only three things changed: the number of spectators, the identity of the centurion and the margin of victory. If you thought last weekend's 76-run thumping of Pakistan was emphatic, then what would you term the 130-run mauling of South Africa? Call it whatever you want, but just don't call it flash in the pan.
If nothing, India's performance was an amalgamation of flashes of brilliance. From calling it right at the toss to batting by choice, from ticking and picking runs to collecting them in a hurry, from being watchful to becoming wondrous, from being quiet hopers to becoming proud conquerors, India put up as professional a show as any team could. That they did so against a side rated much higher both on pedigree and chutzpah made it all the more significant and special. Needless to say, MS Dhoni & Co. now find themselves occupying the top spot in Group 'B' and, save an upset, it promises to remain like that.
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So imposing was India's display that it beggared belief. If Shikhar Dhawan's roar back among the runs with a telling 137 was the backbone of the innings, then a calculated flourish from Ajinkya Rahane was its muscle. A total of 307/7 would imply half the job done, but with a bowling attack as fragile and as inexperienced as the one at Dhoni's disposal, the virtue of optimism was struggling to find room.
There was plenty of room for aggression, though, as Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma found enough life on a wicket that saw Dale Steyn return figures of 1/55. The same quality rubbed off on the nimble-footed fielders whose athleticism and precision caught AB de Villiers and David Miller short of the crease. As pace made way for spin, South Africa went from mediocre to pathetic to be shot out for 177 in 40.2 overs.
It was more than a cakewalk for Team India. No one was talking about the World Cup jinx dating back to 1992 anymore. And one man, who was part of those three losses, would have been proud to see Dhoni and his boys tweak history. Sachin Tendulkar was in the house, and he absolutely loved what he saw.
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South Africa went into the game with six specialist bowlers, but it took them 27.1 overs to tick the wickets column. Had Rohit Sharma not tested the brilliance of de Villiers's arm when on nought, the signs would have been even more ominous for the Proteas.
Dhawan attacked South Africa with his exquisite drives and audacious upper cuts. He and Kohli added 127 in 24.2 overs with the latter happy to play second fiddle. When on 53, Dhawan cut Wayne Parnell towards Hashim Amla at point. The fielder should have taken it. He didn't. Dhawan went from strength to strength even though India lost Kohli to a rubbish delivery from leggie Imran Tahir and, that too, against the run of play. Kohli made 46, but he looked good for a second straight ton.
Dhawan and Rahane then added a whopping 125 runs in 16.3 overs, the cornerstone of their partnership being sustained momentum. That South Africa lost the services of Vernon Philander because of a hamstring injury only helped India's cause.
Related : Cricket World Cup 2015 India v/s South Africa: India vanquish South Africa, win by 130 runs
Rahane was exceptional in his strokemaking, hitting the ball effortlessly to all parts of the ground. From less than four an over, the run-rate was suddenly nearing six. Rahane brought up his fifty off just 40 balls, and he hit Parnell and Tahir for sweetly-timed sixes off consecutive overs. Eventually, he fell to Steyn for a 60-ball 79.
Dhawan got to his ton with a four off Parnell, who gave away 85 off his nine overs, and the milestone coincided with the start of the batting powerplay which fetched India 44 runs. As was the case against Pakistan, India lost their way a bit in the final overs, with only 36 coming off the last five, but it proved to more than enough.
Umesh Yadav got Quinton de Kock early before Amla fell to Mohit Sharma in the 11th over for 22. De Villiers, Faf du Plessis and their 68-run stand kept South Africa in the hunt, but that was that. A brilliant throw from the deep saw Mohit beat De Villiers in style. Five overs later, Mohit played his role to perfection by sending back top-scorer du Plessis for 55. As South Africa went from 147/4 to 177 all out in the space of exactly nine overs, scores of the nearly 87,000 fans made their way out. After all, it had ceased to be a contest. That's how brilliant India were.
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 "Shikhar-Dhawan (File photo)")
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