India v South Africa: Key plays
MAN OF THE DAY – INDIA: JASPRIT BUMRAH
Not wishing to overlook Shikhar Dhawan’s 78 or Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 76, it was the bowling that won it for India. The unorthodox Indian right-armer was wicketless from two matches in this ICC Champions Trophy but delivered in this crucial encounter. With Umesh Yadav dropped in favour of Ravi Ashwin’s off-spin, Bumrah took the new ball and helped set the tone for the whole game, restricting an unusually nervy Hashim Amla and Quinton De Kock – usually such a fluent opening pair – to a pedestrian run-rate that saw them hit just 35 from the first 10 overs. The straight-armed seamer eventually took 2-28 off eight overs.
MAN OF THE DAY – SOUTH AFRICA: KAGISO RABADA
De Kock played well enough for his 53 but it did take him 72 balls, and when a side makes just 191 it’s hard to pick out a batsman as a star man. Kagiso Rabada was unable to take a wicket, but with India under little pressure to score that perhaps was little surprise. He bowled with energy and passion regardless of the situation, scrapping for a breakthrough right to the end. He proved the trickiest of the Proteas bowlers to get away, taking 0-34, and can walk away from an ultimately disappointing tournament with his head held high.
SHOT OF THE DAY
#CT17 IND v SA - Virat Kohli innings
With Virat Kohli seemingly not quite at his best and hopes of a South Africa comeback still yet to be fully extinguished, the India captain made the most powerful statement he could. Taking a couple of steps down the wicket to the heavy medium pace of Andile Phehlukwayo, Kohli muscled the ball straight over the top for six, with those trademark strong, crisp wrists. It was exactly the sort of proactive batting not seen from South Africa and a perfect example of India’s dominance in the match.
BALL OF THE DAY
WICKET: de Villiers run-out courtesy a quick work by Dhoni
It wasn’t so much the delivery as the outcome. South Africa had had a slow start but with Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers at the crease and building a partnership, anything was possible. Du Plessis patted one to cover and ran, de Villiers responded speedily but the single was never on if the fielding was tidy. Unfortunately for the Proteas, it was. Hardik Pandya, swooped, picked up and delivered a bullet throw right next to the stumps before MS Dhoni’s trademark quick hands whipped off the bails with the South Africa skipper short of his ground despite an athletic dive. Not only had they lost their best player, this was the first of three run outs in a nightmare innings for de Villiers’ side.
MOMENT OF THE DAY
WICKET: Miller run-out courtesy a huge mix-up
South Africa’s implosion was complete when a farcical mix-up between du Plessis and David Miller saw both men scrabbling to make their ground at the same end, as the ball was gently lobbed to the vacated non-striker’s end, where Kohli gleefully accepted the gift.
STAT OF THE DAY
#CT17 Ind v SA: Shikhar Dhawan innings
Shikhar Dhawan has never failed in any innings at the ICC Champions Trophy. His remarkable record continued in this match, with his 83-ball 78 seeing India to a comfortable victory. He is now the leading run-scorer in ICC Champions Trophy cricket – he has hit scores of 114, 102*, 48, 68, 31, 68, 125 and 78: 634 runs at an average of 90.57. He’s not bad in ICC World Cups either, in total he has played 16 innings in ICC 50-over events and made 1,046 runs, with five hundreds and four fifties at an average of 69.73 and a strike-rate of 96.58.