World Cup (cricket): 2015
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
2015
Venue: Australia and New Zealand.
Participating teams: 14 (Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, West Indies, Zimbabwe)
Australia beat New Zealand in the final to win its fifth World Cup
S. Asia's progress in the tournament
The performance of South Asian teams was as follows:
01. New Zealand vs Sri Lanka - 1st Match, Pool A, New Zealand won by 98 runs
02. India vs Pakistan - 4th Match, Pool B, India won by 76 runs
03. Bangladesh vs Afghanistan - 7th Match, Pool A, Bangladesh won by 105 runs
04. Pakistan vs West Indies - 10th Match, Pool B, West Indies won by 150 runs
05. Australia vs Bangladesh - 11th Match, Pool A, Match abandoned without a ball being bowled
06. Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka - 12th Match, Pool A, Sri Lanka won by 4 wkts
07. India vs South Africa - 13th Match, Pool B, India won by 130 runs
08. Afghanistan vs Scotland - 17th Match, Pool A, Afghanistan won by 1 wkt
09. Bangladesh vs Sri Lanka - 18th Match, Pool A, Sri Lanka won by 92 runs
10. India vs United Arab Emirates - 21st Match, Pool B, India won by 9 wkts
11. England vs Sri Lanka - 22nd Match, Pool A, Sri Lanka won by 9 wkts
12. Pakistan vs Zimbabwe - 23rd Match, Pool B, Pakistan won by 20 runs
13. Pakistan vs United Arab Emirates - 25th Match, Pool B, Pakistan won by 129 runs
14. Australia vs Afghanistan - 26th Match, Pool A, Australia won by 275 runs
15. Bangladesh vs Scotland - 27th Match, Pool A, Bangladesh won by 6 wkts
16. India vs West Indies - 28th Match, Pool B, India won by 4 wkts
17. Pakistan vs South Africa - 29th Match, Pool B, Pakistan won by 29 runs (D/L method)
18. New Zealand vs Afghanistan - 31st Match, Pool A, New Zealand won by 6 wkts
19. Australia vs Sri Lanka - 32nd Match, Pool A, Australia won by 64 runs
20. England vs Bangladesh - 33rd Match, Pool A, Bangladesh won by 15 runs
21. India vs Ireland - 34th Match, Pool B, India won by 8 wkts
22. Sri Lanka vs Scotland - 35th Match, Pool A, Sri Lanka won by 148 runs
23. New Zealand vs Bangladesh - 37th Match, Pool A, New Zealand won by 3 wkts
24. Afghanistan vs England - 38th Match, Pool A, Eng won by 9 wkts (D/L method)
25. India vs Zimbabwe - 39th Match, Pool B, India won by 6 wkts
26. West Indies vs United Arab Emirates - 41st Match, Pool B, West Indies won by 6 wkts
27. Ireland vs Pakistan - 42nd Match, Pool B, Pakistan won by 7 wkts
28. Sri Lanka vs South Africa - 1st Quarter-Final, South Africa won by 9 wkts
29. Bangladesh vs India - 2nd Quarter-Final, India won by 109 runs
30. Australia vs Pakistan - 3rd Quarter-Final, Australia won by 6 wkts
31. Australia vs India - 2nd Semi-Final, Australia won by 95 runs
Australia ended India's title defence.
India were bowled out for 233 runs while chasing a huge total of 328 runs against Australia
32. New Zealand vs Australia - Final, Australia won
Australia crossed the 184 target with seven wickets and 101 balls to spare.
Details: South Asian teams’ journey to the QFs
The authors of this section are...
i) © Cricbuzz Mon, Mar 16 2015
Road to the quarter-finals - NZ sail through, Bangladesh create history from Pool A
ii) © Cricbuzz Mon, Mar 16 2015
Road to the quarter-finals - India assert dominance in title defence from Pool B
Indpaedia volunteers archived this section from a newspaper’s website, which led to the Cricbuzz site
Bangladesh
(P - 6 , W - 3, L - 2, NR/Tie - 1, Points - 7, Position - 4)
For 15 years, Bangladesh have underachieved in the international arena. It was expected that Bangladesh would be blown away in this edition as well but they put up a determined show and qualified for the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time ever.
Bangladesh started their campaign with a bang against Afghanistan in Canberra. Shakib Al Hasan's all-round exploits gave the team a 105-run victory and they benefited immensely in the next match when their game against Australia in Brisbane was washed out. The point they got out of the washout would prove to be crucial. Bangladesh faltered against Sri Lanka as they were thrashed by 92 runs and they seemed to be in trouble against Scotland in Nelson thanks to Kyle Coetzer's 156. Chasing 319, Tamim Iqbal's 95, followed by aggressive fifties Mahmudullah, Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan helped Bangladesh achieve their highest successful chase in World Cups and they won the match by four wickets.
Against England, the stakes were high. If Bangladesh defeated England, they would seal a spot in the quarter-finals while a loss would keep their fate uncertain. Mahmudullah became the first Bangladesh batsman to score a century in the World Cup and backed by Rahim's aggressive 89, helped Bangladesh to 275 for 7. A spirited haul of 4 for 53 from Rubel Hossain bowled England out for 260 and Bangladesh sealed their place in the quarters for the first time. It was the high point for Bangladesh cricket while it was the lowest point for England, who had crashed out in the first round of the World Cup for the fourth time in five editions. Against New Zealand in Hamilton, Mahmudullah became the first Bangladesh player to score consecutive centuries in the World Cup. Chasing 289, Guptill's century put New Zealand on the right path and some calm knocks from Corey Anderson and Daniel Vettori gave New Zealand a hard-fought three-wicket victory. Despite the loss, Bangladesh finished in fourth spot to take on India in Melbourne.
India
((P - 6, W - 6, L - 0, NR/Tie- 0, Points - 12, Position - 1)
The defending champions did not put a foot wrong in their process of advancing to the QFs. Their batsmen have scored runs and more importantly, the bowlers have taken wickets in every match - becoming the only team in the tournament to get the opposition all out in every league game. In their high-voltage clash against Pakistan, Virat Kohli's century and Mohammed Shami's career-best 4/35 made it 6-0 against their Asian neighbours in World Cups. Shikhar Dhawan shrugged off his poor form with a match-winning 137 against South Africa and Ravichandran Ashwin's 4 for 25 against UAE made in three in a row for India.
They were made to stretch against the West Indies, but MS Dhoni's calmness and Shami's three-wicket haul got them over the line with a six-wicket win. An easy win followed against Ireland, in which Shami's 3 for 41 reduced them to 227 after getting off to a good start. However, the Zimbabwe game, was the one where the India bowlers were taken to the cleaners courtesy. Brendan Taylor's eight ODI ton in his final match for his country got them to 287, but it was trumped by the so-far untested Indian middle-order. Suresh Raina's maiden ODI ton, along with MS Dhoni's unbeaten 85 allowed India, who were 92 for 4 at one stage, seal a six-wicket win and remain unbeaten.
Pakistan
((P - 6, W - 4, L - 2, NR/Tie- 0, Points - 8, Position - 3)
In a bid to repeat their World Cup 1992 success that was hosted in the same continent, Pakistan came into the tournament on the back of a not-so-promising ODI record. They had incurred series losses to Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand twice, so when they began their World Cup campaign with losses to India and West Indies, not many backed them to last the distance. They went down by 76 runs in their much-anticipated clash against India and succumbed to an embarrassing 150-run loss to the West Indies.
Their campaign finally took flight when they beat lesser-fancied sides such as UAE and Zimbabwe to keep their quarterfinal hopes alive and eventually finished the group stage with four wins, occupying third spot on the points table. They turned a corner with a morale-boosting win over South Africa at Eden Park. Sarfraz Ahmed's return to the fold helped them turn over a new leaf and their pacers, despite their inexperience, made it possible for them to defend a modest total against South Africa.
Pakistan's unpredictability is what made it possible for them to clinch four straight wins after the defeats in the first two games. The virtual knockout against Ireland, as it turned out, was a cakewalk in the end.
Sri Lanka
(P - 6, W - 4, L - 2, NR/Tie - 0, Points - 8, Position - 3)
Kumar Sangakkara has been the one-man army for Sri Lanka in this World Cup. He has created history and all hopes will rest on him as the tournament enters the most crucial stage.
Sri Lanka lost the first match in the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup by 98 runs to New Zealand in Christchurch. They were pushed to the limits in the match against Afghanistan in Dunedin. Chasing 233, Sri Lanka were in trouble at 18 for 3 but Mahela Jayawardene's 19th ODI century and his 126-run partnership with Angelo Mathews helped the team win a close match by six wickets with 10 balls to spare. Sri Lanka were on fire in Melbourne with Dilshan and Sangakkara showing no mercy against Bangladesh. After a 122-run opening stand with Lahiru Thirimanne, Dilshan and Sangakkara strung a 210-run stand for the second wicket. Both batsmen registered wonderful centuries and Sri Lanka posted 332 for 1. Bangladesh were never in the hunt and they lost by 92 runs. Sangakkara was once again the driving force in Sri Lanka's demolition of England in Wellington. Chasing England's 310, Sangakkara was joined by Thirimanne and both batsmen tore the England bowling to shreds. They registered a 212-run partnership and both batsmen registered centuries as they coasted to a nine-wicket win.
Against Australia in Sydney, they put up a spirited show thanks once again to Sangakkara. Dilshan smashed Mitchell Johnson for six fours in one over while Sangakkara became the first batsman to score three consecutive hundreds in a World Cup. Chandimal's attacking 22-ball fifty gave them some hope but he retired hurt due to a hamstring strain and they lost the match by 52 runs. In Hobart, Sangakkara created history by becoming the first player in ODI history to score four consecutive centuries and Scotland tumbled to a 148-run loss. Following Australia's win against Scotland in Hobart, Sri Lanka finished in third spot to take on South Africa
India vs. Pakistan
Pool B match
The tickets for the eagerly-awaited contest were sold out in 20 minutes for the 50,000-capacity stadium, with the South Australian government expecting around 20,000 Indian travellers for the marquee clash.
Sun, Feb 15, 2015/ Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
India won the toss and opted to bat
India beat Pakistan by 76 runs, maintaining its unbeaten record against its neighbour, which now stands at 6:0. India won the sixth consecutive World Cup game against Pakistan since first met in the WC in 1992.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men first posted a competitive total of 300/7 (which is a record for an India-Pakistan World Cup game) riding on Virat Kohli's 22nd ODI hundred and then dismissed the opposition for 224 in 47 overs at the Adelaide Oval to secure two points.
Mohammad Shami (4/35), Umesh Yadav (2/50), Mohit Sharma (2/35) and Ravichandran Ashwin (1/41) were the pick of the Indian bowlers as they kept taking wickets to put pressure on the Pakistani batsmen. Captain Misbah-ul Haq (76), Ahmed Shehzad (47) and Haris Sohail (36) were the notable contributors.
This was India’s first victory in Australia since landing there in November 2014. India had managed to spend almost three months in Australia without winning a single official match.
India could have got a bigger score had it not been for some excellent death bowling by the Pakistani pace bowlers. Their young fast bowler Sohail Khan (5/55) checked the Indian surge by bowling a tight line and length.
Virat Kohli became the first Indian batsman to hit a century against Pakistan in the World Cup. His 107 off 128 deliveries is the highest score by a player from either side in an India-Pakistan World Cup game.
Virat Kohli who continued his passionate romance with the Adelaide Oval, scoring his fourth century in only his seventh innings there. Already, Adelaide has become Kohli's happy hunting ground in the same way that Sydney was for Sachin Tendulkar, Port of Spain for Sunil Gavaskar and Eden Gardens for VVS Laxman.
India wobbled in the last five overs, losing five wickets for only 27 runs which stopped them short of the projected score of 325.
Kohli now has 22 ODI centuries and is joint second with Sourav Ganguly for most ODI tons scored by an Indian. Only Sachin Tendulkar (49) is ahead of him. But Kohli did eclipse Tendulkar's highest individual score (98) by an Indian against Pakistan in any World Cup game.
Indian team
Playing XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav
Bench: Ambati Rayudu, Stuart Binny, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Pakistan Squad
Playing XI: Ahmed Shehzad, Younis Khan, Haris Sohail, Misbah-ul-Haq, Sohaib Maqsood, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi, Wahab Riaz, Yasir Shah, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Irfan
Bench: Nasir Jamshed, Sarfraz Ahmed, Ehsan Adil, Rahat Ali
Man of the Match: Virat Kohl
Scoreboard
|
India innings |
300/7 (50 overs) |
|
|
|
|
Batting |
|
R |
Fours |
Sixes |
|
Rohit Sharma |
c Misbah b S Khan |
15 |
2 |
0 |
|
Shikhar Dhawan |
run out (Misbah) |
73 |
7 |
1 |
|
Virat Kohli |
c U Akmal b S Khan |
107 |
8 |
0 |
|
Suresh Raina |
c H Sohail b S Khan |
74 |
5 |
3 |
|
MS Dhoni (c & wk) |
c Misbah b S Khan |
18 |
1 |
1 |
|
Ravindra Jadeja |
b Riaz |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ajinkya Rahane |
b S Khan |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Ravichandran Ashwin |
not out |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Mohammed Shami |
not out |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
Extras |
|
6 |
|
|
|
Total |
(50 Overs, 7 Wickets) |
300 |
|
|
|
Bowling |
R |
W |
|
|
|
Mohammad Irfan |
58 |
0 |
|
|
|
Sohail Khan |
55 |
5 |
|
|
|
Shahid Afridi |
50 |
0 |
|
|
|
Wahab Riaz |
49 |
1 |
|
|
|
Yasir Shah |
60 |
0 |
|
|
|
Haris Sohail |
26 |
0 |
|
|
|
Pakistan innings |
224 (47 overs) |
|
|
|
|
Batting |
|
|
|
|
|
Ahmed Shehzad |
c R Jadeja b Umesh |
47 |
5 |
0 |
|
Younis Khan |
c Dhoni b Shami |
6 |
1 |
0 |
|
Haris Sohail |
c Raina b Ashwin |
36 |
3 |
0 |
|
Misbah-ul-Haq (c) |
c A Rahane b Shami |
76 |
9 |
1 |
|
Sohaib Maqsood |
c Raina b Umesh |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Umar Akmal (wk) |
c Dhoni b R Jadeja |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
Shahid Afridi |
c Kohli b Shami |
22 |
1 |
1 |
|
Wahab Riaz |
c Dhoni b Shami |
4 |
1 |
0 |
|
Yasir Shah |
c Umesh b Mohit Sharma |
13 |
1 |
0 |
|
Sohail Khan |
c Umesh b Mohit Sharma |
7 |
1 |
0 |
|
Mohammad Irfan |
not out |
1 |
0 |
0 |
|
Extras |
|
12 |
|
|
|
Total |
(47 Overs, 10 Wickets) |
224 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bowling |
R |
W |
|
|
|
Umesh Yadav |
50 |
2 |
|
|
|
Mohammed Shami |
35 |
4 |
|
|
|
Mohit Sharma |
35 |
2 |
|
|
|
Suresh Raina |
6 |
0 |
|
|
|
Ravichandran Ashwin |
41 |
1 |
|
|
|
Ravindra Jadeja |
56 |
1 |
|
|
Afghanistan: dazzling debut
Highlights of the tournament
Afghanistan inspire in debut World Cup appearance
International Cricket Council 14 March 2015
Afghanistan’s maiden Cricket World Cup appearance may not have resulted in the fairy tale quarter-final appearance many hoped for, but the team has more than made its mark on the 2015 tournament.
Moments involving the men in blue will be among 2015’s most enduring, from the emotional scenes when Hamid Hassan bowled Afghanistan’s first-ever World Cup ball in Canberra to the sheer joy in Dunedin when the team secured its first win.
This is a team which has won the hearts of cricket fans everywhere, not only for its ‘rags to riches’ story of players who started life in refugee camps before finding themselves on the cricket’s biggest stage, but also for their talent and their determination to fight in every match they played.
Hassan, with his headband, war paint and cartwheels, has claimed cult status, alongside his teammate Shapoor Zadran for his exuberant celebrations upon scoring the winning runs against Scotland.
Afghanistan was given a chance to take on the biggest and best in the World Cup and while it was not able to defeat a Test nation, it was no easy beat either.
In the opening match, it showed flashes of brilliance but ultimately was undone by what coach Andy Moles described as a disappointing performance with the bat, before it pushed Sri Lanka in Dunedin.
Next came the historic victory against Scotland where Afghanistan fought back from 97-7 to win by one wicket in the final over, prompting celebrations from Afghans around the world.
Next came opportunities against Australia and New Zealand where Afghanistan, although ultimately outplayed by stronger teams, acquitted themselves well.
Had rain not figured heavily in the final match against England, it could have produced a different result entirely.
The win against Scotland: “Not many sides can come back from seven wickets down.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Afsar Zazai, said, “We hadn’t faced a 150‑plus bowler before, and we faced bowlers like Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Johnson, so we’ve learnt a lot from this tournament,” Zazai said.
“Mitchell Starc did talk to two or three of our seam bowlers at the end of the game and one of the big things they talked about was their boots,” coach Andy Moles said.
“We've got a problem with Hassan particularly, he has gone through five pairs of boots on this tour already, the soles keep breaking off, and Mitchell Starc brought his boots out and they discussed how he gets them made, where he sends them, and they did talk about some bowling.”
Victory over Scotland
“Four from four... He's picked him up to the leg side... Those are the winning runs. Shapoor is the hero... for Afghanistan” an excited Alan Wilkins said on air.
It was a first victory for the World Cup debutants and Shapoor Zadran made sure it would be an unforgettable moment. He set off for the single initially, then realized a few steps later that the ball had gone to the boundary and a life long dream had become reality. He broke to the right, took his helmet off, struck his signature airplane pose then slid down on the ground and fell face first in exhaustion and elation.
Afghanistan’s improbable cricket story had a brilliant exclamation mark added to it.
The most inspirational moment of the World Cup, however, was also the most heart-wrenching as Scotland, once in a seemingly unassailable position, had their first World Cup win snatched away. Sport is inspirational. Sport is cruel.
Trivia
Pakistan players' disciplinary problems
fined for night out/ AFP
Eight Pakistan players, including maverick former captain Shahid Afridi and opener Ahmed Shehzad, were fined 300 Australian dollars (US $230) for breaching a team curfew (coming 45 minutes late to their Sydney hotel after a dinner night out) ahead of their crucial World Cup game against India. They were also been warned that a repeat offence would see them kicked out of the tournament.
AFP added: Pakistani players have a history of off-field discipline problems. Three key players -- Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Aamer -- were caught in a spot-fixing scandal in England in 2010.The trio was accused of taking money to orchestrate deliberate no-balls during the Lord's Test. All three were banned for five years by the International Cricket Council. They, along with their agent Mazhar Majeed, were also jailed in UK.
Coach threatened to resign / PTI
Then the national team's fielding coach Grant Luden threatened to resign complaining of misbehaviour, including use of abusive language, from three senior players Shahid Afridi, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal during a training session.
Records of the League stage
LEAGUE OF RECORDS
The Times of India Mar 16 2015
THE LEAGUE STAGE of World Cup 2015 HAD MANY HIGHS AND A FEW LOWS TOO. The Times of India BRINGS TO YOU THE LOWDOWN...
INDIA, NZ DOMINATE
Under MS Dhoni's inch-perfect moves, the Men in Blue look all poised to make a serious title bid. Batters clicked and the young breed of cricketers brought energy into fielding. Even bowlers, who drew a lot of flak for their poor show Down Under earlier, ended up taking all 10 wickets in every match.With six wins on the trot, India can certainly think beyond quarters where they take on Bangladesh.
On the other hand, co-hosts NZ went into the World Cup high on confidence following their dominance over Pakistan at home.The Kiwis have grown from strength to strength and have topped Group A with a clean slate.Starting from the warm-up game against Proteas, to their last group match against Bangladesh, the team looked unstoppable. A staggering net run-rate only underlines their authority.
Last ODI tournaments of…
Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene have already announced that this will be their last ODI tournament.
Sanga and Mahela were still in with a chance to do their country proud when the knockout stages of competition commenced the next week.Not surprisingly, Sanga's red-hot form in the tournament has literally made his skipper Angelo Mathews admit to going down on his knee to stop the southpaw from calling it quits from ODIs after the Cup
BITE OF THE UNDERDOGS
The biggest disappointment of the tournament was England's ouster from the group stages. The Eoin Morgan-led side could register only two wins, that too against minnows likes Scotland and Afghanistan. The initial jitters were followed by an insipid display by the team as they flopped against even Bangaldesh and were ousted from the knockout race. The exit was described as a `dark day in English cricket' by the Guardian.
Ireland's facile win over the West Indies came as a surprise to many. But those who remembered their shock victories over England and Pakistan in the 2011 and 2007 World Cups respectively, will only acknowledge their mighty spirit.
LINGERING IMAGE
Gayle may have missed out on scripting the highest individual ODI score, but he nevertheless became the first non-Indian player to register an ODI double ton after Rohit Sharma (two to his name), Sachin Tendulkar (1) and Virender Sehwag (1).
LEFT IS RIGHT
The World Cup saw left-handers make a mark. The most number of centuries, the highest individual score, the most number of runs and wickets have all been pocketed by left-handers. While Kumar Sangakkara (496 runs with 4 centuries) leads the way with the willow, Chris Gayle ¬ thanks to his double century has stamped his authority too.
India's southpaw Shikhar Dhawan has been in good form as well, getting 337 runs from 6 outings and is the seventh highest run-getter in the tournament. On the bowling front, left-armers Mitchell Starc (16 wickets at an average of 8.50), Trent Boult (15 at 12.60), Wahab Riaz (14 at 22.42) and Daniel Vettori (13 at 13.69) have all been on the money, and find themselves in the top-10 leading wicket-takers' list.
CENTURY GLUT
As Pakistan's Sarfaraz Ahmed hit Ireland's George Dockrell for a four over mid-wicket on a Sunday evening to help his side seal a quarters spot, it was the 35th instance of a batsman crossing the three figure mark in this competition.
While Sarfaraz was the first from Pakistan to score a 100 in this edition, the leader of the pack is none other than Kumar Sangakkara -who has four back-to-back hundreds to his name.
Closely following Sanga are Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, Brendan Taylor, M Mahmudullah and Tillakaratne Dilshan who have scored two centuries each.
GREAT REVIVALS
Pakistan and the West Indies looked all set to follow England out of the World Cup. After two back-to-back defeats against India and the West Indies, the Pakistan batting line-up came under the scanner. Their weaknesses were lying in the open and there were only a few who were still pinning hopes on the Misbah-led side.
As always, the bowlers resurrected Pakistan's fortunes. After being bowled out for just 222 against South Africa, Pakistan's knockout chances looked bleak. But the bowlers shot out the mighty Proteas line-up for just 202. Post the win, Pakistan never looked back. They ensured they won all the following group matches to make it to the quarterfinals. Sunday's win over a persistent Ireland meant they were placed third in Group B going into the knockouts and would face Australia in the quarterfinials.
India versus South Africa at the MCG
Feb 23 2015
India came up with yet another near-perfect show to beat South Africa
India
Studs
Shikhar Dhawan
He played the perfect anchor role for India, blunting the new-ball attack by being watchful and discreet. He paced his innings to a nicety, taking 71 deliveries for his first 50 and then just 52 more to record his 7th ODI ton. He cut loose in the batting Powerplay, even slamming Dale Steyn for a massive six and a four off consecutive balls. India have never lost when he has scored a 100 and that didn't change later.
Ajinkya Rahane
With Dhawan and Virat Kohli intent on seeing off SA's danger men, India needed somebody to play an attacking innings. Rahane provided that without ever stooping to risky shots. He split gaps precisely and lofted the ball when he found spaces to exploit. It took the pressure off Dhawan and also helped the scoring rate to get a life. His 60-ball 79 ensured that panic never set into the India camp
Mohit Sharma
He was the lucky talisman. Bowled to his strengths and didn't yield too many runs. Crucially, he took the prized scalps of Amla, Du Plessis and effected the critical runout of De Villiers with an inch-perfect throw from the deep.
DUDS
Lower middle order:
Once again, India blew up an incredible platform, huffing and puffing to just over 300. At one stage, when Rahane and Dhawan were batting, a total of over 330 looked quite plausible. But the lower middle order lost its way, giving South Africa a sliver of hope.
South Africa
Studs
Faf Du Plessis
The only batsman who looked comfortable in the middle.bb
Came out to bat early and hit a few crispy boundaries in his stroke-filled half-century. His fighting knock got no support from the other end apart from a end apart from a brief stand with captain AB De Villiers.As for Du Plessis was at the crease, South Africa were South Africa were still in the game.
Duds
Wayne Parnell
Wayward and awry from his first ball, Parnell failed to justify the faith SA team management has showed in him over Ryan McLaren. He gave too much width to Dhawan and bowled too full to Rahane. Made life really tough for SA skipper, who had already lost Vernon Philander to injury. No. 7 appeared too high a batting spot for someone of his capability and Parnell did nothing to change that perception.
Morne Morkel
They say fast bowlers hunt in pairs and Morkel was expected to be one of the strike bowlers for South Africa along with Dale Steyn but looked far below par. He bowled with pace but never managed to trouble any of the Indian batsmen bar Suresh Raina, who cut and pulled him with ease. Ajinkya Rahane was especially severe on him.
Hashim Amla
Facing a huge chase, a lot depended on the calm and collected SA opener. He got an early reprieve when Suresh Raina muffed up a great run-out opportunity but went for an ill-advised pull shot off Mohit Sharma with two men on the fence. His early dismissal following opening partner Quinton de Kock's wicket pushed South Africa back severely.
See also
World Cup (cricket): history <>World Cup (cricket): 1975 <>World Cup (cricket): 1979 <>World Cup (cricket): 1983 <>World Cup (cricket): 1987 <>World Cup (cricket): 1992 <>World Cup (cricket): 1996 <>World Cup (cricket): 1999 <>World Cup (cricket): 2003 <>World Cup (cricket): 2007 <>World Cup (cricket): 2011 <>World Cup (cricket): 2015 <>World Cup (cricket): 2019 <>World Cup (cricket): 2023
