World Cup 2019: 3 Key Factors behind India's opening win over South Africa 

Nearly one week after the commencement of the 12th edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup, India played its first game against South Africa at the Rose Bowl in Southampton.

However, the wait was worth it, as India registered a convincing win, edging the Proteas in all the three departments. It was an all-round effort by the Men in Blue, as they handed a third consecutive defeat to Faf du Plessis' men in the tournament.

The pacers bowled at good lengths and were complemented by a controlled effort from the spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. In the batting department, Rohit Sharma played the role of an anchor and was well supported by the likes of KL Rahul, MS Dhoni and Hardik Pandya.

After a convincing win, we take a look at three specific factors that drove the team towards the win:

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#3 Double Blows by Bumrah and Chahal

Bumrah and Chahal rattled the South African innings with their splendid bowling

South African skipper Faf du Plessis opted to bat first after winning the toss. However, the decision turned out to be erroneous as they lost their openers in quick succession, attributable to a mind-boggling effort by India's pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah.

Bumrah kept bowling outside the off stump to de Kock in the first few overs. Controlled bowling by his compatriot Bhuvneshwar Kumar mounted the pressure on Hashim Amla, as the right hander was trapped by Bumrah at first slip in the 4th over.

Bumrah kept bowling regularly at good length, thereby restricting the flow of runs. He came back in his third over and got rid of the in-form Quinton de Kock with a smart catch by the skipper at third slip. The pace sensation put up an exhilarating show of fast bowling and sent back both the openers to expose the South African middle order early on.

Faf du Plessis and Rassie van der Dussen were up to the task of rebuilding the innings, as they stitched a 54-run partnership for the third wicket. Soon after, Kohli introduced Yuzvendra Chahal into the attack, who brought back the ghosts of the 2018 series for the Proteas.

Chahal, like Bumrah, struck his first blood in his second over, however, he went on to pick another scalp in the same over. Both the set batsmen were totally baffled by his leg spin, as the 28-year old knocked off their bails.

South Africa never quite recovered from these early setbacks to their top order. Chahal further ran through the middle order, as he ended up taking 4 wickets in the game.

#2 Attacking Captaincy from Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli led the side brilliantly in his first match as skipper in the World Cup

Virat Kohli, captaining India for the first time in the World Cup, was up to the task in his first game. Though Kohli is known for always playing the game with utmost passion, his zeal and enthusiasm was on a completely different level today and was contagious to find its way into the veins of his teammates.

Virat set up an attacking field with three slips for the majority of the first powerplay. Noticing the struggle of de Kock against Bumrah, Kohli himself came into the third slip from cover, a ploy which paid dividends in the very same over, as the Protea keeper edged the ball into Kohli's hands. After the powerplay, Virat attacked the Proteas with alternate overs of pace and spin, handing the ball to Pandya and Kuldeep, respectively, in succession.

Soon after, Kohli brought Chahal into the attack, as the famed spin duo of "KulCha" ran through the middle order, sharing 5 wickets among themselves. With South Africa pushed onto the backfoot, the Indian captain brought back his strike bowler Jasprit Bumrah, in the pursuit of more wickets and to finish off their innings before 50 overs.

Kohli, who is quite often criticised for his implausible tactics as a captain, was on a completely different level altogether in India's first game of the tournament. He managed his resources quite efficiently and took wise decisions, which were integral in restricting the South Africans to a below-par total.

#1 Responsible Century from Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma battled his way to his 23rd ODI century

Though the scoreboard did not seem very daunting for India, Kagiso Rabada and Chris Morris bowled an excellent spell with the new ball. The two bowlers capitalised on the conditions, and restricted the flow of runs, with Rabada trapping Dhawan in his third over. India managed to score just 34 runs in the powerplay.

Soon after that, Virat Kohli was sent back to the pavilion by Andile Phehlukwayo which brought some creases on the forehead of the Indian supporters. It was then that the vice-captain, Rohit Sharma stepped into the shoes of an anchor, and displayed his responsibilities as the senior player. Rohit negotiated the tough spells and kept the scoreboard ticking, adding 85 runs for the third wicket with KL Rahul.

Hitman was the fulcrum around which the Indian innings levitated, as the World's no. 2 ODI batsman kept rotating the strike, in addition to finding the boundary rope at regular intervals. After the departure of Rahul, Rohit combined with Dhoni and added another 74 runs for the fourth wicket, and it was this partnership that sealed the deal for India.

In the process, Rohit brought up his 23rd ODI century, and his second in the World Cup, as he absorbed all the pressure to play a stable, steady inning, unlike his usual nonchalant self. The 32-year old was rightly adjudged the Man of the Match for his match-winning knock of 122* runs off 144 balls.