Rohit Sharma's gritty century (122 not out off 144 balls) helped India beat South Africa by six wickets at The Rose Bowl, Southampton. Chasing a modest total of 228 to win, both Indian openers started cautiously. Shikhar Dhawan fell cheaply in the sixth over. Virat Kohli and Rohit also ensured that India do not lose another wicket inside the powerplay. Kohli fell after Quinton de Kock took a sensational one-handed catch. Rohit and KL Rahul (26 off 42 balls) stitched a good partnership and got India back in the game. MS Dhoni also contributed with the bat, scoring 34 runs. Hardik Pandya's quickfire 15 off 7 balls helped India get across the line with 15 balls to spare. Earlier, Yuzvendra Chahal picked up four wickets while Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar took two wickets each as India restricted South Africa to 227 for nine in their 50 overs. (SCORECARD)
World Cup 2019 Match Highlights Between South Africa vs India, Straight from The Rose Bowl, Southampton.
Hardik Pandya hits back to back boundaries to get India close to target. The first shot came off a cut shot on the off-side while while the second shot was hammered on the leg side.
Chris Morris bowls a well-directed bouncer to MS Dhoni. Dhoni couldn't get over the top of the ball, went for a pull and ended up hitting it high in the air. Morris completes a good catch to dismiss Dhoni.
David Miller... what have you done? Rohit Sharma was foxed by Kagiso Rabada's bouncer, he was late for his pull and ended up hitting it in the air. Miller was well-set beneath that but in the end it doesn't count unless you hold on to that. It was a simple catch.
Rohit sweeps and sweeps it fine to backward square leg. He read the field well, the fielder was inside the circle and once past that fielder there was no way the ball was going to stop inside the fence. Indian batsmen have changed gears now.
It was a half chance and MS Dhoni played that shot rather lazily and his top edge goes to the slip where Markram gets his hand to it but couldn't hold onto it.
Rohit Shrama leans forward and works it on the leg-side and a misfield from the fielder helps him reach his century. Virat Kohli and Co. are out in the balcony of their pavillion to applaud his effort.
MS Dhoni shuffles across and tries to work it on the on-side but the edge takes it to the short third man. Both batsmen once again couldn't decide whether to run or not and in the end decide against it.
Chris Morris drops short to MS Dhoni, the ball didn't bounce much, Dhoni gets into a good position and pulls it away powerfully to deep backward square leg for a four.
Chris Morris goes short at Rohit Sharma and he went for a pull but the ball went past him straight into keeper's gloves. Luckily it didn't hit any part of his bat or the gloves.
Andile Phehlukwayo bowled four dot balls to Rohit Sharma. He eased off the pressure by hitting Phehlukwayo with horizontal bat over bowler's head straight down the ground for a four.
Rohit Sharma and MS Dhoni both are hitting the balls either in the gaps or with soft hands to rotate the strike. None of them are looking to take any risks at the moment.
Imran Tahir for some reason is persisting with his slower balls and Rohit Sharma played it on the on-side. A slight misfield by the fielder and both batsmen were stranded in the middle of the pitch for a while, unsure whether to go for a single or not, but ultimately complete the run run safely. A better fielding effort could have sent one of them back.
Kagiso Rabada gets South Africa the breakthrough they were looking for. KL Rahul gets out for 26. It was not a slower ball but it stopped after pitching and KL had to check his shot at the last moment and he ends up lifting it straight to mid-off fielder.
Imran Tahir tosses the ball outside off, Rohit Sharma leans forward and hits it behind point fielder for a four. Another elegant looking shot from Rohit Sharma.
Tabraiz Shamsi overcompensates on that occasion for his previous delivery and bowls a wide delivery outside off. Rohit Sharma cuts it very late through point for a four.
Rohit Sharma uses another shot from his armoury and sweeps the ball down leg, dissecting the gap to perfection for a four. This boundary also brought up the 50-run stand between Rohit and KL Rahul.
Chris Morris drifts down the leg stump and KL Rahul just paddles towards the fine leg fence for a four. Tabraiz Shamsi's misfield gave India two extra runs.
Rohit Sharma charges down the ground trying to hit Tabraiz Shamsi over the fence but the ball hits the toe-end of his bat and falls safely in the gap at deep midwicket.
After bowling a maiden over to KL Rahul, Chris Morris once again manages to force an outside edge of the batsman. This time it was Rohit Sharma who edged it towards first slip but the ball dropped just short of Hashim Amla at first slip.
Rohit Sharma shows his class with that shot. He walked down the ground to reach the pitch of the ball and dispatched it over deep midwicket for a huge six.
Chris Morris bowls a beauty to KL Rahul to start his second spell of the match. The ball was pitched up and it held its line, probably also straightened a bit, and missed the outside edge by a whisker. Morris finishes the over without conceding any run.
Andile Phehlukwayo's extra bounce does the trick for him but more than that the wicket belongs to Quinton de Kock whose acrobatics helped see the back of Indian skipper who departs for 18.
Andile Phehlukwayo full full and outside off to Virat Kohli takes a forward leap reaches for the ball, ends up edging it to vacant gully region for a single.
Andile Phehlukwayo's seaming-in delivery hits Rohit Sharma'a pads and his huge appeal has been turned down by the umpire. South Africa have reviewed it. The ball would have gone onto clip the stumps but since it was umpire's call Rohit survives. South Africa keep their review.
India Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team
Virat Kohli
Faf du Plessis
The Rose Bowl, Southampton