The stakes are high for today's league match between India and South Africa with both teams facing a must win situation to qualify for the semi-finals. Such a large margin of victory - Virat Kohli's team won with 12 overs to spare - nearly certainly means India will top group B and face Bangladesh in the second semi-final, on Thursday.
The remaining last four place will be decided on Monday when the winners of Sri Lanka against Pakistan will advance.
Pakistan opted to play an extra seamer in Fahim Ashraf instead of leg-spinner Shadab Khan in the only change to the side that beat South Africa by 19 runs in a rain-affected clash at Edgbaston last Wednesday.
The win helped India book a semi-final spot and shake off the uncertainties which had undermined the team's abilities after the defeat to Sri Lanka.
Fortunately for Kohli, India were able to feast on a South Africa team bereft of confidence after a lacklustre midweek loss to Pakistan. In the semi-finals, India will meet Bangladesh on June 15.
India must have faced the biggest reality-check in the tournament, having lost to Sri Lanka even after registering a formidable total of 321/6 after being asked to bat first.
London attack: Australia confirms death of two citizens
An off-duty Metropolitan Police officer was in hospital with serious injuries after he confronted the attackers with no weapon. She described herself as "just your average dreamer, with a full-time job and a constant longing to go where I haven't been".
They had only themselves to blame as, while Quinton de Kock hit 53, the likes of skipper AB de Villiers (16) and David Miller (one) were victims of poor communication to be run out as South Africa belied their position as the world's best one-day nation.
WICKET! The debutant Fahim Ashraf gets Chandimal for a second ball duck!
But after that the South African batsmen could do little in the face of some brilliant bowling by the five-man attack and sharp fielding.
The Proteas were inching towards a good total after their scorecard read 140 runs losing couple of wickets however, two back to back run-outs withing couple of runs saw the departure of risky AB De Villers (16) and David Miller (1).
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Kedar Jadhav, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Umesh Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Dinesh Karthik, Ajinkya Rahane. They jacked up the run rate in subsequent overs as the Indian bowlers struggled to get going.
With 41 runs left for victory, Dhawan was out after scoring his third 50-plus score in the tournament.
Comments