World Cup 2019: Three reasons why India defeated South Africa 

India got their World Cup 2019 campaign off to a winning start with a 6-wicket win against South Africa on Wednesday.

After opting to bat first, South Africa crashed to 89-5 before recovering well to score 227-9 from their 50 overs. Rohit Sharma then hit an unbeaten century to help India reach the target with 16 balls to spare.

For the beleaguered Proteas it was their third loss from as many matches. They will have to lift their game when they play the West Indies next on 10 June. India, on the other hand, is in a different position. This team looks like a well-balanced one that can go far in the tournament.

They could not have hoped for a better start to the tournament. Let us look at three reasons why India won their match against South-Africa on Wednesday.

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#3 Jasprit Bumrah’s devastating opening spell

Jasprit Bumrah

India’s bowling attack, led by Jasprit Bumrah, is seen as the key to the team’s success at the World Cup 2019. Bumrah starred for his team in the match, taking 2-35 from his ten overs. He engineered a top-order collapse which South Africa took a long time to recover from.

Opening the bowling, Bumrah beat the bat several times in the first few overs, making full use of the seaming conditions. Hashim Amla (6) was caught at slip in Bumrah’s second over. Quinton de Kock (10) perished in the bowler’s next over, edging a wide ball from Bumrah.

Bumrah’s plan against de Kock worked quite well. The bowler’s idea was to come from over the wicket and to angle the ball across the left-hander, hoping for an edge. De Kock has struggled in the past with balls moving away from him.

South Africa was in all sorts of trouble at 24-2 after six overs. Bumrah returned in the death overs and bowled economically to restrict South Africa to 227.

#2 Indian spinners’ mastery in the middle-overs

Yuzvendra Chahal

South Africa had no answer to India’s spin mastery on Wednesday. The duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav shared five wickets between them, while conceding less than a 100 runs from their combined 20 overs.

As mentioned, the Proteas were 24-2 at an early stage.

Faf du Plessis (38 runs) and Rassie van der Dussen (22) managed to re-group with a partnership of 56 after the early wickets. Just when they looked set, van der Dussen lost his wicket. Chahal bowled the batsman around his legs after the latter attempted a reverse-sweep. This was only the start of South Africa’s woeful batting against India’s spinners.

Still in the 20th over, Chahal bowled du Plessis with a beautifully-flighted ball. JP Duminy was trapped LBW nine runs later, this time by Kuldeep Yadav, and South Africa was in a mess at 89-5.

Chahal took the next two wickets as well to end up with figures of 4-51 from 10 overs.

#1 Rohit Sharma’s composed century

Rohit Sharma

India knew they would cruise to a victory if one of their batsmen scored a century. Rohit Sharma was that man. He scored an unbeaten 122 to help his side reach the target with six wickets in hand.

Sharma’s toughest test was at the start of India’s innings when a fired-up Kagiso Rabada gave it his all in search of an early wicket. India scored only 13 runs off the first five overs, with Rabada beating the bat on several occasions. The paceman got Shikhar Dhawan (8 runs) out the next ball. Rohit, though, smashed 14 runs off Rabada’s next over.

He combined for a 91-run partnership with Kahul Rahul for the third wicket, which ended South Africa’s slim chance of victory.

Rohit will be delighted to have scored a century in his first match of the tournament. If the 32-year-old can continue this form, he can finish the World Cup 2019 as one of the most prolific run-scorers.