Date: June 6, 2013
Location: Sophia Gardens, Cardiff, Wales
Event: ICC Champions Trophy – Match 1: India vs. South Africa
The damp, biting wind sweeping across Sophia Gardens was a harsh reminder for the Indian Cricket Team that they were thousands of miles away from the heat of the subcontinent.
The skies over Cardiff were a heavy, menacing grey. The air was thick with moisture, and the temperature hovered around a chilly fourteen degrees Celsius. It was quintessential English weather—ideal conditions for fast bowlers and a demanding test for opening batsmen.
Inside the Indian dressing room, the atmosphere was focused and quiet. The players were putting on their heavy national team sweaters, listening to MS Dhoni and Coach Duncan Fletcher run through the final strategic points. They knew the scrutiny from the media back home was intense. The only way to shift the narrative away from the controversies of the IPL was to win, and to win decisively against the number-one ranked ODI team in the world: South Africa.
Out on the pitch, MS Dhoni and the South African captain, AB de Villiers, walked out for the toss.
"Welcome to Sophia Gardens for this highly anticipated opening clash of the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy," Nasser Hussain's voice echoed over the global broadcast. "We have overcast conditions, a slight green tinge on the wicket, and remember, we are playing with two brand new white Duke balls today. They are going to swing. AB de Villiers has the coin."
De Villiers spun the coin high into the grey sky.
"Heads," Dhoni called softly.
The match referee looked at the turf. "It is tails. South Africa wins the toss."
"AB, a very important toss to win in these conditions. What are you going to do?" Nasser asked, holding the microphone out.
"We are going to bowl first, Nasser," de Villiers said, looking up at the heavy clouds. "It's a straightforward decision for us today. There is a lot of moisture in the air, the pitch has been under covers, and we have a pace attack that can exploit this early swing. We want to put the Indian top order under pressure straight away."
"A formidable pace attack indeed. And your team for today?"
"We are playing four seamers," de Villiers confirmed. "Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Ryan McLaren, and Rory Kleinveldt. Robin Peterson is our lone spinner today."
"Thanks, AB. Best of luck. MS, you probably would have wanted to bowl first as well?"
"Yes, definitely," Dhoni nodded calmly. "The conditions heavily favor the seamers early on, especially with the two new balls rule. But it is what it is. We have to apply ourselves, respect the good deliveries, and build a solid foundation. If the sun manages to peek through later, the pitch will ease out for batting."
"You mentioned yesterday in the press conference that team balance is crucial. Can you confirm the playing eleven?"
"Yes," Dhoni stated. "Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan will be opening the batting for us. Virat Kohli at three, Siddanth Deva at four, myself, Suresh Raina, and Ravindra Jadeja in the middle order. The pace battery is Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma, and Umesh Yadav. Siddanth and Ashwin make up the rest of our five-specialist bowler quota, and Ravindra provides that crucial sixth option for us."
"A very dynamic side. Thank you, MS."
---
As the umpires walked out to the middle, holding the two hand-stitched white Duke balls, the tension in the stadium mounted. The traveling Indian fans, wrapped in heavy coats, waved their flags and beat their dhols to combat the freezing wind.
Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma walked down the pavilion steps. Opening the batting in England is one of the toughest assignments in world cricket, and doing it as a newly formed pair against the South African pace cartel was a massive challenge.
Up in the commentary box, Sourav Ganguly and David Lloyd took the microphones.
"Here we go," Ganguly announced. "Morne Morkel has the first new ball. He hits the deck incredibly hard and generates steep bounce. Rohit Sharma is on strike."
Morkel steamed in. The first delivery was a fast, rising back-of-a-length ball. Rohit watched it closely, dropping his wrists and swaying out of the line with excellent technique.
For the first ten overs, it was a grueling test of survival. Morkel and the left-arm pacer Lonwabo Tsotsobe made the Duke ball move laterally off the seam. It swung away, it seamed in, and it constantly tested the outside edge of the bats.
"They are being incredibly watchful, and rightly so," David Lloyd noted as the score crept to 25 for no loss in the 8th over. "With the new ODI rules allowing only four fielders outside the 30-yard circle in the non-Powerplay overs, the Indian openers know that if they can just survive this initial burst, there are plenty of runs to be had later on."
In the 11th over, Dhawan stepped down the pitch, negating the swing, and beautifully cover-drove Morkel for a boundary. Two balls later, he pulled a short ball cleanly to the square-leg fence.
The pair survived the treacherous first hour. As the clouds parted slightly and the pitch lost its initial bite, Dhawan and Rohit shifted gears. They began to dismantle the South African change bowlers, McLaren and Kleinveldt, stringing together a century partnership.
Rohit played the elegant anchor, while Dhawan attacked the gaps.
The breakthrough finally came in the 22nd over. Rohit, having scored a beautifully constructed 65 off 70 balls, attempted to pull a shorter delivery from Ryan McLaren but found the fielder at mid-wicket.
Rohit Sharma: c Peterson b McLaren 65 (70)
"A fantastic opening stand comes to an end," Nasser Hussain summarized. "Rohit Sharma did exactly what was asked of him. He saw off the new balls and built the platform."
Virat Kohli walked in at number three. He looked focused, quickly finding the boundary with his trademark wristy flicks. He and Dhawan added another 45 runs, pushing the score past 170. But in the 30th over, attempting to force the pace against Tsotsobe, Kohli misjudged a slower delivery and was caught at short mid-wicket.
Virat Kohli: c Amla b Tsotsobe 31 (32)
The score was 172 for 2. The foundation had been laid, but with twenty overs left, India needed a substantial acceleration to post a match-winning total.
Siddanth Deva walked out to the middle.
"And here comes Siddanth Deva, slotting in at number four today," Ravi Shastri announced. "He had a phenomenal IPL, but this is a completely different format, a different ball, and a different country. But we all know when the Devil sets his sights on something there is no one stopping him."
Siddanth took his guard. He scanned the field placements, noting the four fielders on the boundary. The pitch had flattened out into a good batting strip, but the ball was still carrying nicely to the wicket-keeper.
He tapped gloves with Dhawan, who was batting on a scintillating 98.
"Great knock, Shikhar," Siddanth said, adjusting his helmet. "Get your hundred. I'll get my eye in for an over, and then we push the rate."
"They're bowling slightly back of a length now," Dhawan noted. "Trying to restrict the boundaries."
"Understood."
In the next over, Dhawan cut Robin Peterson for a double, bringing up a spectacular maiden ODI century. The Indian dressing room stood up to applaud. Siddanth walked down the pitch and patted Dhawan on the back, acknowledging the sheer quality of the opener's innings.
Dhawan eventually fell in the 35th over for a brilliant 114, caught in the deep trying to sweep JP Duminy.
Shikhar Dhawan: c sub (Phangiso) b Duminy 114 (94)
The score was 210 for 3.
MS Dhoni walked out to join his Vice-Captain. With exactly fifteen overs remaining, India's two best finishers were at the crease.
"What do you think, Sid? What is a safe score here?" Dhoni asked, tapping the pitch.
"With the sun out, the pitch is getting better, Mahi bhai," Siddanth calculated. "I think anything around 340 is going to be very hard for them to chase under scoreboard pressure. We should aim for 360 plus."
Dhoni nodded. "Let's build a partnership first. Keep the scoreboard ticking."
South Africa brought Morne Morkel back into the attack to test the new batsmen with raw pace. Morkel, running in hard, hurled a 145 kmph bouncer aimed at Siddanth's chest.
Siddanth watched the ball closely, pivoted on his back foot, and executed a clean, controlled pull shot. He didn't try to hit it out of the stadium; he simply rolled his wrists and sent the ball racing along the ground to the square-leg boundary for four.
"Beautifully controlled by Deva," Sourav Ganguly noted. "He didn't over-hit that. He just used Morkel's pace and kept it down. That is smart batting."
Dhoni played a brisk cameo of 27 off 21 balls, rotating the strike seamlessly and finding the odd boundary before being caught behind off Ryan McLaren.
MS Dhoni: c de Villiers b McLaren 27 (21)
At 265 for 4 in the 42nd over, Ravindra Jadeja sprinted out to the middle. The left-handed all-rounder was the perfect partner for the final push.
Siddanth shifted his approach. He had been batting at a run-a-ball, but now it was time to accelerate.
When Tsotsobe attempted wide yorkers, Siddanth shuffled across his stumps and sliced the ball past backward point for boundaries. When McLaren bowled slower balls, Siddanth held his shape, waited for the ball, and hit it cleanly down the ground.
AB de Villiers constantly adjusted his fielders, trying to close the gaps, but Siddanth's shot selection was incredibly precise. He didn't take unnecessary aerial risks unless the ball was firmly in his arc.
In the 46th over, Siddanth brought up his half-century off 34 balls with a crisp cover drive. He simply raised his bat briefly to the dressing room and returned to his stance.
Jadeja caught the momentum at the other end. The Saurashtra all-rounder slapped boundaries through the off-side, refusing to let the bowlers settle.
The final five overs yielded a flurry of runs. Deva and Jadeja scored 75 runs in the last 30 deliveries, constantly putting the South African death bowlers under pressure.
In the 48th over, Morne Morkel steamed in, digging a rapid, 146 kmph bouncer into the pitch. Siddanth didn't duck. He swiveled on his back foot and unleashed a violent pull shot that sent the ball soaring 90 meters into the stands for a colossal six.
"What a staggering strike!" Nasser Hussain exclaimed in the commentary box. "And viewers have to understand the physics of this new ODI era. Because of the two new balls rule, the Duke ball Morkel is bowling right now is effectively only 24 overs old. It is still rock hard, keeping its shape, and bouncing terrifyingly high. To pull a hard Duke ball off the front of the helmet for a massive six requires immense raw power and absolutely flawless technique."
On the final ball of the innings, facing a yorker from Morkel, Siddanth squeezed the ball past point for a boundary, walking off the pitch with a very strong total on the board.
Having finished his blistering cameo of 47 not out, Ravindra Jadeja immediately launched into his trademark, aggressive Rajput "sword-swinging" bat celebration right in the middle of the pitch. Siddanth, standing at the non-striker's end, playfully and dramatically ducked to avoid getting "beheaded" by his wildly swinging teammate.
"Look at that!" Harsha Bhogle burst into laughter alongside Sourav Ganguly in the commentary box. "Jaddu is putting on a martial arts display, and Deva is running for cover! A brilliant, lighthearted end to an absolutely brutal batting performance!"
INDIA: 378/4 (50 Overs)
Siddanth Deva: 87 Not Out (52 balls)
Ravindra Jadeja: 47 Not Out (29 balls)
"A phenomenal finish from the Indian team!" Ravi Shastri summarized as the players walked off. "They have piled on 378 runs. Siddanth Deva walks off unbeaten on a very well-paced 87 off 52 deliveries, and Jadeja played a fantastic cameo. That is a monumental target for South Africa."
"It really is, Ravi," Nasser Hussain agreed. "Shikhar Dhawan set the most magnificent platform with his 114, and the middle order capitalized perfectly. South Africa will have to bat out of their skins to chase this down. De Villiers and Amla have a massive job ahead of them."
---
Inside the Indian dressing room during the break, the team was focused.
"Excellent job with the bat, boys," Dhoni addressed the team as he strapped on his keeping pads. "But the pitch is completely flat now. 378 is a winning score only if we bowl disciplined lines. Bhuvi, Umesh, Ishant... you have two new Duke balls. Pitch it up, let the ball swing, and do not bowl short. Make them drive."
The Indian team jogged onto the field. The crowd cheered as Hashim Amla and Colin Ingram walked out to begin the massive chase.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar took the first new ball.
It took exactly three deliveries for the young swing bowler to make an impact. Bhuvneshwar bowled a length ball pitching on middle. Ingram, trying to work it toward the leg side, was squared up as the ball swung away late, taking the leading edge and lobbing gently to Suresh Raina at mid-on.
"Struck early! The swing does the trick!" Sourav Ganguly celebrated on air. "What a beautiful piece of bowling from Bhuvneshwar Kumar. India draws first blood in the very first over!"
Colin Ingram: c Raina b Kumar 0 (3)
Robin Peterson, promoted up the order as a pinch-hitter, joined Hashim Amla.
Realizing that defending would only increase the required run rate, Peterson and Amla launched a calculated counter-attack. Amla played with flawless wrist-work, finding gaps on the off-side. Peterson used the pace of Umesh Yadav and Ishant Sharma, hitting several boundaries over the infield.
By the 15th over, South Africa had recovered well, moving to 105 for 1. The run rate was healthy, and the Indian fast bowlers were struggling to contain Amla's precision.
Dhoni looked at Siddanth, who was fielding at point, and signaled for him to warm up.
It was time for the first bowling change.
"Siddanth Deva comes into the attack," David Lloyd noted as Siddanth marked his run-up.
Siddanth knew the pitch offered very little assistance for raw pace. He focused on his seam presentation.
He bowled his first over to Robin Peterson, who was batting aggressively on 42.
Siddanth started with two sharp, 142 kmph deliveries slanting across the left-hander, keeping Peterson on the back foot.
For the third ball, Siddanth altered his line. He released the ball at 138 kmph, pitching it slightly fuller on off-stump. Peterson, expecting the ball to hold its line, leaned forward for a cover drive.
But Siddanth had engineered an in-dipper. The ball ducked back sharply off the seam, bypassing the inside edge of Peterson's bat, and struck him squarely on the front pad.
"HOWZAT?!" Siddanth and Dhoni went up in a loud, unified appeal.
The umpire, Bruce Oxenford, took his time before slowly raising his finger. Peterson looked surprised and immediately signaled for the DRS review.
"Given LBW! But Peterson reviews it straight away," Shastri called out. "He thinks it might be sliding down the leg side."
The stadium screen flashed with the ball-tracking graphic.
Pitching: In line.
Impact: In line.
Wickets: Hitting Middle and Leg.
The red lights flashed. The crowd erupted.
"Three Reds! Deva strikes in his very first over!" Shastri boomed. "Brilliant setup. He bowled two across him and brought the third one back in sharply. Peterson has to go!"
Robin Peterson: lbw b Deva 68 (72)
The dismissal brought the South African captain, AB de Villiers, to the crease.
Siddanth stood at the top of his mark, focusing on de Villiers. He ran in and bowled a tight, back-of-a-length delivery on the off-stump. De Villiers defended it solidly.
For the next ten minutes, they engaged in a tactical contest. De Villiers tried to step around the crease to create angles; Siddanth matched him by following him with sharp deliveries into the body that offered no room to free his arms. Siddanth conceded only four runs in his opening spell, applying valuable pressure.
At the other end, Hashim Amla fell to a brilliant piece of fielding, run out by a direct hit from Ravindra Jadeja after a mix-up with de Villiers.
Hashim Amla: run out (Jadeja) 22 (25)
South Africa was 130 for 3. The required run rate began to climb.
De Villiers, realizing he needed to anchor the chase, partnered with Faf du Plessis. The two veterans tried to stabilize, rotating the strike against the spin of Ashwin and Jadeja. But the required rate was relentless.
In the 28th over, attempting to hit Umesh Yadav over the infield, du Plessis mistimed a pull shot and was caught at mid-wicket by Suresh Raina.
Faf du Plessis: c Raina b Yadav 30 (23)
David Miller walked out to the middle. With over 180 runs still needed from 22 overs, Miller was the only batsman capable of turning the game around quickly alongside de Villiers.
Dhoni threw the ball back to his Vice-Captain. Siddanth returned for his second spell.
"Keep it tight to Miller, Sid," Dhoni instructed quietly. "Don't give him any width to swing his arms."
Siddanth nodded. He knew Miller relied on planting his front foot and hitting straight.
Siddanth steamed in. He bowled a rapid 144 kmph delivery, but instead of pitching it up, he banged it in short and aimed it directly at Miller's ribcage.
Miller, cramped for room and hurried by the pace, tried to awkwardly fend the ball away. He took his eyes off the ball at the last second. The ball grazed the wristband of his glove and lobbed softly into the air behind the stumps.
MS Dhoni took one step to his right and caught it comfortably.
"Caught behind! Deva gets the dangerous Miller!" Nasser Hussain shouted. "That is excellent fast bowling. He didn't give Miller an inch of room, targeted the body, and generated uncomfortable bounce. South Africa are losing their way here."
David Miller: c Dhoni b Deva 0 (2)
At 185 for 5, the core of the South African chase had been broken. AB de Villiers stood at the non-striker's end, shaking his head.
De Villiers fought a valiant battle, scoring a brilliant 70 runs, trying to keep up with the required rate. During Siddanth's final over, the stadium witnessed a brief, elite clash of two geniuses. Realizing the climbing run rate, de Villiers attempted his famous ramp shot. He shuffled aggressively across his stumps to scoop Siddanth over fine leg.
However, Siddanth's analytical mind anticipated the movement during his run-up. At the very last millisecond of his delivery stride, Siddanth altered his wrist position, bowling a wide, dipping slower ball outside the off-stump instead. De Villiers swung his bat at completely thin air, beaten entirely by the variation.
De Villiers looked down the pitch, and the two master tacticians shared a quick, silent nod—acknowledging the high-stakes chess match happening in real-time.
But the scoreboard pressure eventually forced de Villiers into a false shot against Ravindra Jadeja, getting caught at long-off by Umesh Yadav.
AB de Villiers: c Yadav b Jadeja 70 (71)
With their captain gone, the South African lower order offered brief resistance. Ryan McLaren hit a spirited 71 not out, swinging his bat bravely. But the target of 379 was a mathematical impossibility at that stage.
In the final over, Ishant Sharma cleaned up the tail, bowling Lonwabo Tsotsobe with a full, straight delivery.
SOUTH AFRICA: 315 All Out (49.4 Overs)
The Indian team converged in the center of the pitch, high-fiving and shaking hands. It was a massive, comprehensive victory by 63 runs against a top-tier team.
The Cardiff crowd cheered loudly, the Indian flags waving in the cold wind. The Indian Cricket Team had made a very strong statement in their opening match of the tournament.
---
The post-match presentation was set up on the edge of the outfield. The stadium lights cut through the darkening, overcast sky.
Nasser Hussain stood with the microphone, the Man of the Match trophy resting on the table beside him.
"A thoroughly dominant performance from India today," Nasser addressed the cheering crowd. "They posted a massive total and then bowled with immense discipline. And the man who set the entire foundation with a breathtaking maiden ODI century... Shikhar Dhawan!"
The crowd roared as Dhawan, beaming with joy, walked up to the podium.
"Shikhar, congratulations. 114 off 94 balls. A sensational century," Nasser praised. "Opening the batting in England against Morkel and Tsotsobe is incredibly tough. How did you negotiate that first hour?"
"Thank you, Nasser," Dhawan smiled broadly. "It was tough early on. The ball was moving around a lot. But Rohit and I just decided to play the ball on its merit. Rohit was so solid at the other end, it allowed me to settle in. Once the pitch eased out, we just backed our instincts and played our shots."
"You certainly did. And what about that finish from the middle order? 378 is a very imposing total."
"That was brilliant batting from the rest of the guys," Dhawan agreed. "Sid came in and played a very smart innings, keeping the momentum going, and then he and Jadeja finished it perfectly. When the middle order fires like that, it gives the top order a lot of confidence. It was a complete team effort."
"Well played, Shikhar. A phenomenal start to the tournament for you and India. Ladies and gentlemen, Shikhar Dhawan!"