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22-Feb-2015 11:15:00 GMT
India v South Africa, Group B, Melbourne

Dhawan ton Powers India beat South Africa

Melbourne: Shikhar Dhawan hit a superb century as defending champions India maintained their unbeaten start to the World Cup with a 130-run win over South Africa at MCG on Sunday.

A boisterous crowd of 86,876 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground saw India pile up 307 for seven after electing to bat and then bowl out the Proteas for 177 with almost 10 overs to spare in the day-night Pool B match.

India's 307-7 was built around Dhawan's 137, while Ajinkya Rahane made 79 off 60 balls and Virat Kohli 46.

South Africa were bowled out for 177 with 9.4 overs unused as Faf du Plessis's departure for 55 sparked a collapse of seven wickets for 44 runs.

The defeat was South Africa's heaviest in World Cup history.

India, who remain top of Pool B with two wins from two games, face the United Arab Emirates in Perth on Sunday, when victory will all but secure their place in the quarter-finals.

South Africa play West Indies in Sydney on Friday.

South Africa play West Indies in Sydney on Friday, but the manner in which they subsided on a blameless surface cast doubts on their tag as one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Dhawan's composed innings, which spanned 146 deliveries, was typical of a measured rather than explosive batting display, and two key run-outs were reward for the pressure created by an accomplished performance in the field.

Faf du Plessis top-scored with 55 but India made regular dents in the South African batting, with off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin taking three wickets and seamers Mohammad Shami and Mohit Sharma sharing four wickets.

With two wins from as many games -- India defeated arch-rivals Pakistan by 76 runs last Sunday -- Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men will move into the quarter-finals if they beat the unfaniced United Arab Emirates in Perth on February 28.

South Africa, one of the pre-tournament favourites who beat Zimbabwe in their first match, have two points from as many games.

Dhawan, the left-handed opener who resides in Melbourne with his British-Asian wife Ayesha and three children, hit 16 boundaries and two sixes during his seventh one-day international century.

All his seven hundreds have come in a winning cause, but it was the confident display against Dale Steyn and company that would have pleased retired batting star Sachin Tendulkar who was present in the packed stands.

Steyn, one of the most fearsome fast bowlers in the modern game, was clipped by Dhawan over backward square-leg for six and driven over his head for another six by Ajinkya Rahane.

Steyn finished with figures of one for 55 from 10 overs.

South Africa were hampered further when seamer Vernon Philander hobbled off the field with a hamstring injury after sending down just four overs.

Dhawan, who made 73 against Pakistan, put on 127 for the second wicket with Virat Kohli (46) and 125 for the third with Rahane (79 off 60 balls).

The 29-year-old Dhawan fell in the 44th over when Hashim Amla, who had floored a difficult chance off Wayne Parnell when the batsman was on 53, picked up an easy catch at fine leg off the same bowler.

India lost five wickets for 41 runs after being strongly placed at 261 for two, but they still managed to score 80 runs off the last 10 overs.

India go with same squad, while South Africa made one change -- Wayne Parnell is in for Farhaan Behardien.

Teams

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni (Capt. & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma

South Africa: Quinton de Kock (wk), Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers (Capt.), David Miller, Jean-Paul Duminy, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir

Brief scores
India -
307/7 (Dhawan 137, Rahane 79, Kohli 46, Morkel 2-59)
South Africa - 177 (du Plessis 55, Ashwin 3-41)
Result - India won by 130 runs
Points - India 2, South Africa 0
MOM - Shikhar Dhawan (India)


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