With India
registering a fine 26 run victory against South Africa in the opening match of the
ICC Champions Trophy 2013, here is a quick look at the top 5 game changing
moments from the match.
1) Absence of Dale Steyn - One of the key
reasons why South Africa is regarded amongst the best bowling units is due to a
certain Dale Steyn, who is inarguably the best fast bowler going around at the
moment. And with him missing this
crucial tie against India due to the back stiffness, he suffered in the warm-up
match against Pakistan, the embattled
Indian openers could finally afford a sigh of relief.
2) Team composition gone wrong - In a move
that was aimed at exploiting India's weakness against fast bowling, the Proteas
packed their side with as many as 4 fast bowlers . However that move proved to
be counterproductive, as with negligible swing and seam on offer and the ball
coming onto the bat nicely, the Indian batters were more than happy feasting
,what was on offer. With their leading bowler in Morne Morkel injuring himself
halfway into the innings, it was clear that they had missed a trick in not
including another spinner in Aaron Phangiso.
3) Promotion of Rohit Sharma - Rohit as a
cricketer has time and again failed to justify his prodigious talent in the
international arena. With scores of 5 and 10 in the warm-up ties against Sri Lanka
and Australia, Rohit was widely expected to sit out of the playing eleven in
today's match. But trust Dhoni to do
things differently. This time, in a move that raised quite a few eyebrows,
Rohit was promoted at the top to partner Shikhar Dhawan. And what a
masterstroke that turned out to be. The achilles' heel of Indian batting-the
openers finally delivered and how. Rohit was breezy in his knock of 65 runs
while Dhawan carried on from where he left in the Test against the Aussies to
slam a resplendent maiden century on his ODI comeback , in a solid opening
partnership of 127 runs.
4) Fall of Robin Peterson - In a throwback
to the early 90's, AB de Villiers sent in Robin Peterson at No. 3 as a pinch
hitter. Playing the role of the aggressor, Peterson along with the captain
himself who came in at No. 4, ensured that the asking rate was always kept in
check. Their third wicket stand was quickly taking the game away from the
Indians, before a dash of brilliance in the field by Jadeja resulted in
Peterson falling short of the crease by quite a distance. An unfortunate end to
a brilliant knock of 68 runs was perhaps the stroke of luck that Indians
required to get back into the game.
5) Sir Ravindra Jadeja - He may be the
butt of jokes on Twitter, but Ravindra Jadeja definitely knows how to perform
on-field too. With a direct competition from Irfan Pathan for the place of an
all-rounder in the team, Jadeja excelled in all the departments of the game
admirably. While coming into bat at No. 7, he was instrumental in ensuring an
excellent finish to the innings, with a punishing 47 run knock laced with some
crisp boundaries. In the field, his was his customary brilliant self. While the
South Africans were threatening to run away with the game, his athleticism
again came to the fore , when he dived full length to run out Peterson. His
miserly spell along with a couple of wickets made sure that India opened their
account in this tournament in a clinical manner.
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