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#report

Tsotslowbe and NoMorne Morkel

Tweet report for the opening game of the Champions Trophy between India and South Africa

Nitin Sundar
Nitin Sundar
06-Jun-2013
The Champions Trophy got underway in cold and overcast Cardiff with an unusual opening ceremony involving soldiers in bearskins, beating drums with burning sticks. Not everyone was impressed.
South Africa suffered an early setback, as Dale Steyn missed out with injury.
With Steyn, Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith not playing, the South African outfit looked like it had been cobbled together with whatever was available. A bit like their... outfit.
In Steyn's absence, the rest of the attack barely held it together. The bowling was predominantly short-pitched medium pace. Rohit Sharma took a liking to it quickly.
If you look hard enough, there's always a silver lining. Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan put on a 100-stand in quick time, setting a few interesting records in the process. Rohit eventually fell, slapping a short ball straight to a fielder in the deep. But matters didn't improve for South Africa. Morne Morkel limped off with a groin strain, leaving the attack in dire straits. Dhawan stormed away to his maiden ODI ton, off just 80 balls.
Even South Africa's usually sound fielding withered away.
Despite a mid-innings wobble, India recovered through Ravindra Jadeja to post 331 for 7. Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Rory Klienveldt suffered the most, going for 164 runs between them.
South Africa's chase got off to a terrible start, with Colin Ingram and Hashim Amla exiting early. With Kallis and Smith missing, South Africa looked set for a losing start to the tournament. Robin Petersen was promoted to pinch-hit, and he was promptly hit by a sharp Umesh Yadav bouncer. Then came the counter-attack. AB de Villiers showed South Africa still had fight in them by powering some electric drives through the covers. Petersen followed suit, as Ishant Sharma began to leak runs off the new ball.
Peterson and de Villiers strolled past their respective 50s. The breakthrough came from unexpected quarters, with Ravindra Jadeja running out Peterson after a sharp effort at midwicket. Jadeja continued to have a say, trapping JP Duminy in front with a quick ball, before catching de Villiers' miscue at midwicket. And right on cue…
Worse was to come, when David Miller was run out following a terrible mix-up with Faf du Plessis.
Harsha Bhogle declared on air that du Plessis would have to play the innings of his lifetime if South Africa were to win. Alas...
Du Plessis kept trying, but meanwhile talk on Twitter shifted to whether it was appropriate to use the dreaded C-word.
A flurry of boundaries from du Plessis and Ryan McLaren briefly re-ignited South African hopes. They added 50 in just 27 balls.
But there was to be no miracle.
McLaren made a fighting fifty, and Morkel came out to bat despite his injury to narrow South Africa's margin of defeat.
IndiaSouth AfricaIndia vs South AfricaICC Champions Trophy

Nitin Sundar is social media manager at ESPNcricinfo

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