Before the World Cup began, there was a snigger or two at an open-media session in Adelaide when Suresh Raina said that India would be the best fielding side in the competition.
New Zealand and Australia will still dispute that assertion, but South Africa certainly were not amused by India's fielders as two run-outs at pivotal moments sent them tumbling to what AB de Villiers, their captain, later called an "embarrassing" 130-run defeat.
Buoyed by an emphatic win against Pakistan in their opening game, India were pretty much perfect against one of the pre-tournament favourites.
The contrast with their form in the triangular series against Australia and England [three losses and a no-result] that preceded the World Cup could not have been more stark.
Shikhar Dhawan’s stroke-filled 137 and two century partnerships set the game up with the bat, and the often-derided bowlers were then immaculate as South Africa were shut down.
The game turned on an Exocet-like throw from deep backward point.
De Villiers and Faf du Plessis had added 68 in just 74 balls to get their side back into contention when the captain risked a second run.
Mohit Sharma, who had earlier induced Hashim Amla into hooking one down to Mohammed Shami at long leg, thudded his throw into Dhoni’s gloves and the bails were dislodged with De Villiers short.
David Miller had saved South African embarrassment against Zimbabwe with a blistering 92-ball 138 and he was the last hope at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as the batting started to implode in De Villiers’s wake. He had made a run-a-ball 22 by the time he took on Umesh Yadav’s arm. Again, Dhoni collected and broke the stumps and again the giant screen flashed “OUT”.
“The opposition like to take on our fast bowlers,” said Dhoni with a hint of a smile afterwards. “But they’ve got decent arms. Those were real turning points.”
De Villiers, who said he would have preferred to bat first, also pinpointed the two run-outs as the main reason for what he called a “big knock for us”.
Equally as impressive as the fielding were the lines India bowled. Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin, who took four for 78 between them, varied pace and trajectory cleverly, but it was the pace bowlers that stood out.
Shami got Quinton de Kock – a player who once made three straight centuries against India – early, while Mohit, who also accounted for the well-set Du Plessis, was outstanding in the third seamer’s role.
That they had so many runs to play with was primarily down to Dhawan. On the day, he hit 16 fours and two sixes, while South Africa managed 15 fours in all.
Just as outstanding was Ajinkya Rahane. Restored to No 4 after Suresh Raina batted there against Pakistan, the Mumbai batsman stroked 79 off 60 balls, including an audacious straight loft for six off Dale Steyn.
Allan Border, Australia’s captain when they won a World Cup in India in 1987, was watching. “The whole performance was outstanding,” he said, before expressing his misgivings about the fancied Proteas.
“The balance isn’t quite right,” he said. “There seems to be over-planning, with as many as 10 coaches involved. They need to play a natural game.”
India will look at another late slump with the bat – this time they lost five for 46 in 39 balls – as a matter of some concern, but are almost guaranteed of top spot in their group.
They may not be as consistent as other teams, but having lost just three matches in 27 outings across the last five ICC events, no one should doubt their appetite for the big occasion.
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