It was a familiar chasing debacle for South Africa, as India have further strengthened their position at the top of the leaderboard with yet another dominant performance.
Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat on a tricky, two-paced pitch, and got going in his usual fashion. His blazing start was cut short in the 6th over, and when Keshav Maharaj bowled Shubman Gill with an unplayable turner, it looked like the Proteas would bowl their way back into the contest.
However, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer did well to consolidate and rebuild. And this was the partnership that gradually brought India back to pole position. Both players began slowly, but Iyer’s confidence grew as the innings went on.
Lungi Ngidi ended the 134-run stand, but cameos from Suryakumar Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja ensured India would breach the 300 milestone. And to top it off, Kohli reached a milestone of his own – a 49th ODI ton on his 35th birthday.
Keshav Maharaj was the pick of the bowlers, and conceded just 30 runs in his 10 overs.
The Proteas were rocked early when the in-form Quinton de Kock played onto his stumps in the second over. This set the tone for the innings, which would go pear-shaped rather quickly.
The introduction of Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami sent back 4 of the top 6, including danger man Heinrich Klaasen.
There was little intent and application from the South African batters, and Jadeja ripped through the middle order, notching up his first ever 5-wicket haul in a World Cup.
In the end, SA were knocked out for 83 – their worst total in World Cups. Fortunately, they were already assured of a semifinal spot prior to this match, but it’s a clear call to action.
IND 326/5 in 50 overs (Kohli 101*, Iyer 77 – Maharaj 10-0-30-1)
SA 83 in 27.1 overs (Jansen 14 – Jadeja 9-1-33-5)