Plays of the day
Dead-eye AB
A WHILE back the captain had called on his team to produce something special in the field. Yesterday, he led from the front through great anticipation and accuracy to seal two brilliant direct hit run-outs from extra cover and mid-on to execute the dismissals of Rohit Sharma and Ravi Jadeja. It’s just a pity the rest of the Proteas did not follow their skipper’s lead.
Fielding faux pas
BESIDES De Villiers’s brilliance, South Africa experienced a very ordinary day in the field. After placing such a heavy emphasis on perfecting it all week, they were caught stuck in the blocks when the big moments arrived. Hashim Amla dropped Shikhar Dhawan in the gully when he lunged to his right when the centurion was on 53, while Rilee Rossouw spilled Suresh Raina on the deep square-leg boundary. JP Duminy also missed a run-out chance from about a metre from the stumps and there was a host of sloppy overthrows throughout the Indian innings.
The King is dead, long live Sachin!
WITH his curly locks, open-collared purple shirt and sunglasses all Sachin Tendulkar required to complete his Elvis impersonation was a guitar at the MCG. The Indian cricket idol may be retired but he remains the biggest superstar in the game as was once again illustrated yesterday. Sitting on the balcony of the VIP suite, he leant forward to take a “selfie” which allowed the 75 000 Indian fans to catch a glimpse of their hero which set off a cacophony of cheers.
Call me Spartacus
EVERY coliseum needs a gladiator. Last night Shikhar Dhawan assumed that role for India. The swashbuckling left-hander played a rasping innings that had “The G” rocking every time he cut or pulled powerfully to the boundary. The sea of blue rose in unison to applaud their Proteas slayer when he reached three figures. Dhawan took off his helmet and spread his arms to acknowledge the deafening applause.
Please call me
THE communication between AB de Villiers and Faf du Plessis when they run between the wickets at World Cups is as if they are trying to talk to each other without any airtime. If the run-out against New Zealand in the quarter-final at the last World Cup wasn’t enough, the pair chanced a risky run again last night with De Villiers once again caught short of his ground. The pair have now equalled the record for run-outs by a partnership for South Africa in ODIs. Their seven dismissals are equal to that of Gary Kirsten and Jacques Kallis and Hansie Cronje and Kallis.