By: Tarish Bhatt
It is very difficult to remember where India lost the plot, was it when Ajinkya Rahane was dismissed, Rohit Sharma was sent back or when MS Dhoni miss-timed one into the air? The bottom line is to clinch the 1st ODI in Kanpur South Africa showed nerves of steel, which India lacked.
The Proteas skipper AB de Villiers waited, waited for the opening and unleashed his main weapon Imran Tahir when it was most required, and turned the game around for his side, stunning India. Imran Tahir dismissed Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina in the same over to bring the Proteas back into the contest.
Earlier, South Africa batted brilliantly, but they failed to keep the pressure while bowling and leaked too many easy runs. Despite having the likes of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, South Africa failed to bowl aggressively, to which both Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane capitalised fully.
The 149-run partnership between Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane took the game away from South Africa, as both batsmen maintained a healthy scoring rate throughout the run-chase.
Rohit Sharma looked in fine touch throughout the innings, and scored some lovely boundaries while also taking South Africa bowlers for cleaners. Ajinkya Rahane, however, was slow off the block, but after settling down he too played some classy shots.
But, once South Africa broke the partnership, India lost the plot and went down by five runs in the rubber. Rohit, however, put India on a brink of a win, but some fine death bowling from South Africa restricted India to 298 in 50 overs.
Earlier, South Africa skipper AB de Villiers opted to bat first, and his decision looked right when his team was off to a swift start with Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock.
Ravichandran Ashwin provided the first breakthrough, but the Proteas managed to stitch regular partnership. India, meanwhile, was jolted by the injury of Ashwin, who had to leave the field, and he failed to complete his full quota.
India were chipping-in with wickets every now and then, but the dangerman AB de Villiers had anchored one end, with Farhaan Behardien on the other, waiting for the final overs to commence.
Both de Villiers and Behardien unleashed themselves in the final overs, taking Indian bowlers to the cleaners in the final five overs. Behardien, in particular, was lethal between the two and made a firing 35.
AB de Villiers, meanwhile, completes his 1000 ODI runs against India, while also making a magnificent century by hitting a six off the last ball of the South Africa innings, setting an imposing 304-run target for India.
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