India’s Shikhar Dhawan plays a shot during the Pool B 2015 Cricket World Cup match against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), yesterday. India won by 130 runs. (PHOTO: AFP)
SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Defending champions India demolished South Africa by 130 runs, dealing the Proteas their heaviest World Cup defeat in front of almost 87,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground yesterday.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan smashed a career-best 137 with 16 boundaries and two sixes, while Ajinkya Rahane made 79 and Virat Kohli added 46 to the 107 he scored in India’s opening 76-run win over Pakistan.
With two wins from as many Pool B games, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men will move into the quarter-finals if they beat the United Arab Emirates in Perth on February 28.
South Africa, one of the pre-tournament favourites who beat Zimbabwe in their first match, have two points and next face West Indies in Sydney on Saturday.
Dhawan, who made 73 against Pakistan, put on 127 for the second wicket with Kohli and 125 for the third with Rahane.
He eventually fell in the 44th over when Hashim Amla, who had floored a difficult chance off Wayne Parnell when the batsman was on 53, picked up an easy catch at fine-leg off the same bowler.
When South Africa batted, chasing what would have been a record winning score at the MCG, Quinton de Kock, who had hit centuries in each of the last three one-dayers against India, was caught at mid-off for seven.
Amla made 22 when he top-edged seamer Mohit Sharma and Mohammad Shami, who had claimed de Kock’s wicket, took a catch at long-leg.
Skipper AB de Villiers made 30 in a 67-run stand for the third wicket with Faf du Plessis, who top-scored with 55.
But de Villiers was run out before Mohit Sharma had du Plessis caught at mid-off by Dhawan while Ravichandran Ashwin had JP Duminy picked up in the slips and then trapped Philander leg before.
In between, David Miller was run out for 22 to leave South Africa on 153 for seven in 34 overs.
Shami then dismissed Steyn, Ashwin bowled Morne Morkel and Ravindra Jadeja claimed Imran Tahir leg-before.
“It was not a good enough performance as a batting unit and now we have to regroup,” said de Villiers, whose side went down with almost 10 overs to spare.