ICC Champions Trophy 2013: India v/s South Africa - The Quick Flicks

Shikhar Dhawan rammed his way to his maiden century in the first match of the ICC Champions Trophy in Cardiff

Cardiff has seen a third 50-over game involving the Indian cricket team in about a week. The new-look side once again posted a score in excess of 300 from their allotted 50 overs against former champions South Africa. They got a huge scare during the run chase, but backed themselves to strike at regular intervals, and finally eked out the win.

While the victory would definitely give their morale a boost, it would also raise concerns about the lack of sting in the bowling, especially during the Powerplay overs and in the last five. Here are some of the snapshots from today’s game:

Shikhar Dhawan arrives on the big stage

This generation’s “Vikram Rathore” announced his arrival on the big stage with a well-paced hundred that set the platform for a huge score. Shikhar shared a solid 127-run opening stand with Rohit Sharma and added another 83 with statemate Virat Kohli for the second wicket. Everything came alike for the southpaw as he played his shots extremely well on all sides of the wicket. His eventual score of 114 became the highest individual score in all the ODIs played at Cardiff – a feat that he should be proud of!

Missing Dale Steyn and Morkel’s through injury

The Proteas suffered their first jolt of the day when speedster Dale Steyn was ruled unfit for the match. To make matters worse, their strike bowler Morne Morkel could send down only 6.5 overs before pulling up with a groin strain. In the initial overcast conditions, Morkel’s pace and bounce would have had the Indians hopping all over the place, while Steyn’s accuracy at high speeds would have rattled them even more. In any case, the Indians should thank their stars that both of SA’s vital bowlers were unable to make an impact on this game.

Peterson scares India

South Africa’s left-arm spinner Robin Peterson became a thorn in India’s side after his winning boundary against Ashish Nehra in the 2011 World Cup. Sent in as a pinch-hitter in this game, he took the attack to the Indian bowlers, sharing a century stand with captain AB de Villiers. It took an Sir Ravindra Jadeja fielding special to send back the left-hander just when he was looking ominous. If India play the Proteas again in this tournament, they should look to knock him over early and smash him for runs when he bowls. Scared the living daylights out of the Indian team!