If this is a taste of things to come then fasten the seat belts and enjoy the ride. The first match of the Champions Trophy was a fine spectacle, contested under a cloudless Welsh sky and above a wonderfully true strip of Welsh soil. In the end it was won comfortably by India by 26 runs, although there were moments when AB de Villiers and Robin Peterson were together in pursuit of an unlikely 332 for victory when MS Dhoni, the coolest of cats, may have worn a little frown.
A capacity crowd was enthralled by a blaze of magnificent strokeplay and – for a while, at least – an unpredictable outcome and, if that wasn't enough, there was always the hamster in a bubble race at the interval. The only group to leave the stadium disgruntled were the seam bowlers of each side, who had all endured a gruelling day.
This pitch was fast-bowler hostile, not quite what England have been craving for in this tournament. The most miserable of the lot was Morne Morkel, who had been laid low with a thigh strain after bowling 6.5 overs.
With Dale Steyn not risked for this match, the South African bowling attack suddenly looks as if has been critically neutered.
Any relief that international bowlers may have experienced when they realised that Virender Sehwag was out of form and favour and no longer a part of the Indian team must now be tempered by the fact that they have to bowl at Shikhar Dhawan. This Delhi-based left-hander has had to wait a while – he is 27 – but he has already delivered two superb centuries in different forms of the game. His 187 in his solitary Test innings, which was against Australia in Mohali, was the fastest century by a Test debutant.
Here he hit his maiden ODI century, 114 from 94 balls. Actually it would be more accurate to say that he caressed the ball around Cardiff with silky strokeplay that barely contained a hint of violence. Early on we were alerted to a special talent when he advanced down the pitch to Lonwabo Tsotsobe as if he was a left-arm spinner and the ball disappeared through extra cover at an alarming lick. Later he would pop a delivery from Tsotsobe back over the bowler's head deep into the stands. Then he leant back gracefully to glide a bouncer over the keeper from the face of his bat.
There is a swagger about Dhawan; his hairstyle changes with the seasons; his earring glitters in the sunshine. When he was hit on the head he tried to give the impression that this was no more troublesome to him than an irritating fly. He was the man of the match.
Dhawan had excellent support from Rohit Sharma, a converted opening batsman, who scored 65 from 81 balls. Only Morkel seriously inconvenienced them and for a while De Villiers, a harassed captain behind the stumps, looked as if he would settle for a target of around 350.
He could thank a handy spell of off-breaks from JP Duminy, plus some gritty bowling from Ryan McLaren, for preventing India from rewriting the record books. Despite a chirpy 47 from Ravindra Jadeja India were "restricted" to 331. A few of their batsmen had forgotten that the square boundaries at Cardiff are not of IPL dimensions and they holed out to a distant square leg.
Three hundred and thirty-one sounds like an awfully big score but there is now the possibility for rampant inflation in ODI cricket this summer if the sun continues to shine and the groundsmen produce pitches like this. Add into the mix the new fielding regulations and it is hard to be sure that any side batting first is ever safe.
In fact, South Africa could have overhauled this target. They were 155 for two in the 25th over whereupon the first of two wanton run-outs dented their chances. Peterson, promoted to No3, had batted with remarkable fluency alongside an equally polished De Villiers, who had hit some stupendous strokes through the off-side. Then they met mid-pitch with the ball in the hands of Jadeja at midwicket. So Peterson had to go.
Unusually India's excellent fielding had brought them back in the game along with a more familiar strength, the quality of their spin bowling. Ravi Ashwin's off-breaks helped to stem the tide and so did the wily Jadeja with his flightless left-arm spinners.
Soon De Villiers spliced an attempted pull-shot and David Miller was run-out without facing. Yet still South Africa topped 300 with McLaren after the busiest of days hitting a valiant, though vain 71. It would have helped him if the injured Morkel, no longer permitted a runner, could have done more than hobble only the longest of singles.
Here was much to ponder for sides seeking to work out their strategy for this tournament. There was one obvious conclusion for the England side if these conditions are replicated in Cardiff when they meet New Zealand here on 16 June: the four-pronged pace attack plan will have to be shelved. They will have to play the left-arm spinner. Whoops! They haven't got one.
Source : Guardian
