ICC CWC 2019 Match 8 highlights: Rohit ton helps India thrash SA by 6 wkts
Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal grabbed four wickets, helping India restrict South Africa to a sub-par 227 for 9 in their opening encounter. Check India vs South Africa live score, toss updates here
From strength to major concerns, where South Africa stands
Team: South Africa
Captain: Faf du Plessis
Strength: Pace bowling and fielding
Weakness: Brittle batting
Top performer against India (batting): Quinton de Kock (774 runs, five centuries, strike rate of 92)
Top performer against India (bowling): Dale Steyn (34 wickets with the average of 22)
X-factor: Kagiso Rabada and spinner Imran Tahir
Injury concerns: Dale Steyn has been rules out of World Cup due to shoulder injury whle Lungi Ngidi is out with hamstring strain. Hashim Amla has just recovered from a hit on helmet.
Selection dilemma: weak bench strength and inured players make it difficult for the side.
State: Low on confidence after two successive loss in this World Cup
Form in last 5 matches: W W W L L
1:56 PM
From strength to major concerns, where Men in Blue stand
Rank: World No. 2
Nickname: Men in bLue
Captain Virat Kohli
Top Performer against SA (batting): Virat Klhi (1,269 runs, 4 centuries, strike rate 88.00)
Strength: World's no. 1 batsman (Virat Kohli) and World no. 1 bowler (Jasprit Bumrah)
Weakness: Unsettled middle-order
X-men: KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja
Selection dilemma: Kedar Jadhav has be recupreating from a shoulder injury. India are likely to pick Vijay Shankar or Jadeja.
Status: India has played two warm-up matches but India can take confidence from the 5-1 defeat they handed to South Africa
Last 5 Matches: W W L L L
1:42 PM
Here is the predicted playing 11 of both the teams
South Africa playing 11: Quinton de Kock, Hashim Amla, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen, JP Duminy, Andile Phehlukwayo, Chris Morris, Dwayne Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Imran Tahir
India playing 11: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar/Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah
1:39 PM
Here's how India perform in their first matches of ICC Cricket World Cups
India have won 5 of the 11 World Cup opening games they have played so far
CC cricket world cup 1999
Match: India vs South Africa
Result: India lost to South Africa
Score: South Africa (254-6) beat India (253-5) by 4 wickets in Brighton on May 15
ICC CWC 2019: Things India should be wary of when they face South Africa
For their first World Cup 2019 match, India would doubtlessly be high on confidence, but they must not underestimate the might of South Africa. Even if they have shown little flair on the ground in their first two matches, they indeed are a strong side on paper, and they would start playing to their potential at some point.
"We're playing a strong team in India, and as a team, we know we're not good enough at the moment and we have to turn it around. Plan A is gone because Plan A was those main bowlers playing together. They haven't played a game together on this tour," South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis had said after their defeat against Bangladesh. "So now you're moving into your all-rounder territory. You have two medium pace all-rounders and then you have Chris Morris sitting in between your fast bowlers and your medium pace bowlers."
Imran Tahir would be another hurdle that Indian batsmen must chalk out a plan for. If he gets going, there's no looking back. MS Dhoni's presence might be a relief for the Indian side, but they would have to prepare for a long chase (if they bowl first) because 250-300-run total is quite normal on English tracks. If they bat first, on the other hand, they would have to draw from their second warm-up match and post a 300-plus total to keep South African batting under check because their all-rounders have the potential to play spoilsport even if India get early wickets. Read full article here
Imran Tahir would be another hurdle that Indian batsmen must chalk out a plan for. If he gets going, there's no looking back. MS Dhoni's presence might be a relief for the Indian side, but they would have to prepare for a long chase (if they bowl first) because 250-300-run total is quite normal on English tracks. If they bat first, on the other hand, they would have to draw from their second warm-up match and post a 300-plus total to keep South African batting under check because their all-rounders have the potential to play spoilsport even if India get early wickets.
1:22 PM
How India can exploit South Africa's weakness
Here are a few ways in which India could exploit South Africa's weaknesses:
Death over bowling
Missing Steyn and injured Ngidi
Hashim Amla's form and fitness
Middle-over collapse, despite too many all-rounders
Lungi Ngidi to miss India vs South Africa WC clash
The Proteas will also miss the services of Lungi Ngidi in the game against India after he injured himself during the game against Bangladesh.
The pacer had limped off the field with hamstring trouble after the end of the seventh over against Bangladesh in the match which saw Proteas lose by 21 runs. It was later confirmed that he would not take the ball again for the rest of the game and had been ruled out of the match.
Team manager Mohammed Moosajee had also confirmed that Ngidi would be forced to miss South Africa's clash against India. "He was assessed and clinically we felt that he had a left hamstring strain," the ICC website quoted Moosajee as saying. "We decided not to let him go out there and bowl any further in this match.
"So currently, it probably means that he'll be out for about a week to 10 days, but we'll have scans done tomorrow. The plan will be probably to get him ready for the West Indies match."
1:10 PM
Kallis frustrated with Proteas, says they have no further margin for error
After South Africa's second consecutive defeat in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, a frustrated former Proteas all-rounder Jacques Kallis has said that the Faf du PLessis-led side have no further margin for error as they have remained winless so far.
After suffering a humiliating 104-run defeat to hosts England in the tournament opener, the Proteas had to undergo an embarrassing 21-run loss to Bangladesh at The Oval on Sunday. After conceding 330/6 in the allotted 50 overs, South Africa could only manage to reach 309/8.
"I think you've got to give credit to Bangladesh for the way they performed, it's amazing how far they've come as a team in a very short space of time and the way they batted was particularly impressive," Kallis wrote in his ICC column.
"Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but I understand what Faf du Plessis was doing with the toss and playing the extra pace bowler. However, the wicket just didn't allow it and perhaps he stuck with the tactics a bit too long and should have started bowling a little fuller and straighter. Read full article here
12:59 PM
Here's what Sachin Tendulkar said about India's bowling line-up
Led by Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian attack is the "most complete" of this era but it must not be compared with the bowling units of 2003 and 2011 when the team reached the World Cup finals, reckons Sachin Tendulkar.
If at all a comparison has to be made, then the current bowling unit should be compared with the attacks of this era, he insisted.
Tendulkar, who played six World Cups between 1992 and 2011 and has seen different bowling attacks led by Kapil Dev, Javagal Srinath, Zaheer Khan from close quarters, finds it unacceptable that different generations playing under different rules are compared with each other.
"I don't like comparisons as those were different eras, where different teams played on different surfaces under a different set of rules," Tendulkar told PTI when asked to compare the current unit with the attacks of 2003 and 2011.
For the maestro, who was part of two of three finals that India played, the change of rules makes it difficult to compare generations.
"We have two new balls and fielding restrictions in place (four fielders outside 30-yard circle between overs 11 and 40 and one more in the last 10 overs), it is like 100m runners are now running 90m or 80m because laws have changed," he said.
"It is difficult for bowlers with no reverse swing which the single new ball offered. So if you want to judge the current Indian attack, they should be judged with rival attacks of this generation only. But yes, when it comes to this era, this is a very good attack," said Tendulkar. Read full story here
Indian cricket team fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Umesh Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah during a practice session at MAC Stadium on the eve of the first ODI match against Australia, in Chennai. File Photo: PTI
12:55 PM
India cricket team having best win percentage in this decade
India have a winning percentage of 81.5% with 22 wins in 27 matches, at world ODI events in this decade (2011 and 2015 World Cups, 2013 and 2017 Champions Trophies). This is easily the best for any team, well ahead of joint second-placed New Zealand and pakistam (60.9%). South Africa is 5th with 54.6%
MS Dhoni and other Indian player during practice session. Photo: AP | PTI
12:48 PM
India's dismal record at Hampshire Bowl
India gave played 3 One Day Internationals at Hampshire Bowl, winning once (against Kenya in 2004) while lost remaining two against England in 2007 and 2011.
 "India vs South Africa, ICC CWC 2019")
