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Shikhar Dhawan was adjudged man of the match. Dhawan prepares to hit a shot during the Cricket World Cup match against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). Dhawan's 137 helped India to post a huge total of 307 runs. (Reuters)
<br>Rahane has recorded an impressive strike rate of 131.66 – the highest by an Indian batsman in a World Cup innings of 75 or more against a Test side. Rahane's above strike rate is the highest by a number four batsman in a World Cup innings of 50 or more against South Africa.</br> <i><b>Caption: South Africa's Dale Steyn tries to field the ball as India's Ajinkya Rahane, scores a run during their Cricket World Cup pool B match in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday. Rahane smashed 79 off 60 balls. (AP)</i></b> <br>Shikhar Dhawan (137 off 146 balls) recorded his first century at the World Cup, surpassing the 73 vs Pakistan at Adelaide on February 15, 2015. India have won all seven games in ODIs when Dhawan has registered hundreds – his record being 1850 (ave.59.67) in 33 matches.</br> <i><b>Caption: Shikhar Dhawan hits a boundary during the Cricket World Cup match against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) February 22, 2015. (Reuters)</i></b> <br>Dhawan has registered three hundreds in India, two in England and one each in Australia and Zimbabwe. Dhawan's innings is his highest in ODIs, outstripping the 119 off 95 balls vs West Indies at Kanpur on November 27, 2013. His second century against South Africa is his seventh in ODIs.</br> <i><b>Caption: Rohit Sharma, jumps in jubilation during their Cricket World Cup pool B match against South Africain Melbourne, Australia, Sunday. (AP)</i></b> <br>His first century against South Africa was 114 at Cardiff on June 6, 2013. He now holds a record for the highest individual innings by any batsman against South Africa in World Cups – the previous best being Stephen Fleming's unbeaten 134 for New Zealand at Johannesburg on February 16, 2003. Wayne Parnell has conceded 85 runs in Indian innings – the most conceded by a South African bowler in World Cups. Shaun Pollock had conceded 83 runs in ten overs against Australia at Basseterre on March 24, 2007 – the previous worst figures in terms of runs conceded by a South African bowler.</br> <i><b>Caption: Suresh Raina fields during their Cricket World Cup pool B match against South Africa in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday. AP/PTI </i></b> <br>Rohit Sharma became the fifth opening batsman dismissed run out without scoring in World Cups – the sixth such occasion as New Zealand's Nathan Astle registered the feat twice – vs Netherlands at Vadodara on February 17, 1996 and vs Sri Lanka at Bloemfontein on February 10, 2003. Three Zimbabwean opening batsmen are Charles Coventry (vs New Zealand at Ahmedabad on March 4, 2011), Grant Paterson (vs New Zealand at Kolkata on October 23, 1987) and Ali Omarshah (vs India at Ahmedabad on October 26, 1987)</br> <i><b>Caption: South Africa's Morne Morkel (L) is bowled for two runs as India's wicketkeeper MS Dhoni celebrates during their Cricket World Cup match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) February 22, 2015. (Reuters)</i></b> <br>India's victory is their first in four World Cup games vs South Africa. They had lost the first three World Cup matches against them – by 6 wickets at Adelaide on March 15, 1992, by four wickets at Hove on May 15, 1999 and by 3 wickets at Nagpur on March 12, 2011. South Africa suffered their biggest World Cup defeat in terms of runs – by 130 runs – their previous largest defeat was by 83 runs to Australia at Basseterre on March 24, 2007.</br> <i><b>Caption: South Africa's David Miller is run out for 22 runs by India's MS Dhoni (R) as teammate Suresh Raina (L) looks on during their Cricket World Cup match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) February 22, 2015. (Reuters)</i></b> <br>India's 130-run win is their biggest in terms of runs in ODIs in Australia, bettering the 107-run win at Perth on December 8, 1991. Their triumph is also their biggest in terms of runs over South Africa outside the sub-continent in ODIs.</br> <i><b>Caption: South Africa's Hashim Amla stretches to make his ground during the Cricket World Cup match against India at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Reuters)</i></b> <br>South Africa have lost all four matches while chasing total of 300 or more vs India in ODIs. India's win is their fifth largest in terms of runs in World Cups – the largest is by 257 runs vs Bermuda at Port of Spain on March 19, 2007. India have now won against all nine Test nations in World Cups.</br> <i><b>Caption: A fan gestures to India's Virat Kohli during their Cricket World Cup pool B match against South Africa in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015. (AP)</i></b> <br>India (307 for seven) recorded the second highest total by any nation against South Africa in World Cups. Australia had managed 377 for six off 50 overs at Basseterre on March 24, 2007. No other team could make 300 or more vs South Africa in World Cups.</br> <i><b>Caption: India's Virat Kohli, center greets South Africa's Wayne Parnell, after winning their Cricket World Cup pool B match in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday. (AP)</i></b> <br>India's above total is their highest in ODIs at MCG and their second highest in Australia next only to the 321 for three vs Sri Lanka at Hobart on February 28, 2012. South Africa (177) have recorded their lowest score vs India and their fourth lowest in World Cups – their lowest being 149 vs Australia at Gros Islet on April 25, 2007.</br> <i><b>Caption: Suresh Raina,left, M S Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja, second right, celebrate as South Africa's Muhammad Imran Tahir, right, stands on the pitch following their 130 run loss to India in their Cricket World Cup pool B match in Melbourne, Australia. (AP)</i></b> <br>Dhawan became the second Indian batsman to record a World Cup hundred vs South Africa. Sachin Tendulkar was the first to achieve the distinction – 111 off 101 balls at Nagpur on March 12, 2011.</br> <i><b>Caption: Shikhar Dhawan plays a shot during the Cricket World Cup match against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Reuters)</i></b> <br>Dhawan became the second Indian player to post a World Cup century in Australia. Virat Kohli had scored an unbeaten 107 vs Pakistan at Adelaide on February 15, 2015.</br> <i><b>Caption: Mahendra Singh Dhoni, center, celebrates with teammates a South Africa wicket during their Cricket World Cup pool B match in Melbourne, Australia. (AP)</i></b> <br>Dhawan became the third Indian batsman to record a century in ODIs at MCG, joining Sourav Ganguly (100 vs Australia on January 12, 2000) and Rohit Sharma (138 vs Australia on January 18, 2015.</br> <i><b>Caption: Members of the Indian team celebrates after they ran out South Africa's captain AB de Villiers for 30 runs during their Cricket World Cup match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Reuters)</i></b> <br>Dhawan has become the third Indian opener to start World Cup with back to back fifty-plus innings, joining Sourav Ganguly (66 vs Bangladesh and 89 against Bermuda – both at Port of Spain in 2007) and Sachin Tendulkar (127 not out vs Kenya, 70 vs West Indies, 90 vs Australia & 137 vs Sri Lanka in 1996).</br> <i><b>Caption: Virat Kohli walks from the field after he was dismissed for 46 runs during their Cricket World Cup pool B match against South Africa in Melbourne, Australia. (AP)</i></b> <br>Shikhar Dhawan has been adjudged the Man of the Match for the fourth time in ODIs – his first at the World Cup – his second vs South Africa.</br> <i><b>Caption: South African players celebrate the wicket of India's Rohit Sharma during their Cricket World Cup pool B match against in Melbourne, Australia. (AP)</i></b> <br>Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli were assciated in a stand of 127 – India's second highest partnership for any wicket in ODIs at MCG behind the 132 for the fourth wicket between Mohammad Azharuddin and Sunil Gavaskar vs Pakistan on February 20, 1985.</br> <i><b>Caption: South Africa's Imran Tahir appeals unsuccessfully for an Indian wicket during their Cricket World Cup pool B match in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday. (AP)</i></b> <br>India's previous highest second wicket partnership in ODIs at Melbourne was 101 between Sunil Gavaskar and Dilip Vengsarkar vs Australia on January 11, 1981.</br> <i><b>Caption: Virat Kohli plays a shot during their Cricket World Cup pool B match against South Africa in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday. (AP)</i></b> <br>The 127-run partnership is India's second highest World Cup stand for any wicket in Australia behind the 129 between Dhawan and Kohli for the second wicket vs Pakistan at Adelaide on February 15, 2015.</br> <i><b>Caption: Former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar takes a "selfie" photo of himself as he watches the Cricket World Cup pool B match between India and South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday. (AP)</i></b> <br>India have posted 50-plus stands for the second wicket in consecutive World Cup games vs South Africa – 78 between Mohammad Azharuddin and Sanjay Manjrekar at Adelaide on March 15, 1992; 130 between Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly at Hove on May 15, 1999, 125 between Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar at Nagpur on March 12, 2011 and 127 between Virat Kohli and Shikhar Dhawan at Melbourne on February 22, 2015.</br> <i><b>Caption: Shikhar Dhawan, left, and Virat Kohli, centre, take a drinks break during their Cricket World Cup pool B match against South Africa in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday. (AP)</i></b> <br>Ajinkya Rahane (79 off 60 balls) has recorded his maiden World Cup fifty. His first fifty against South Africa is his ninth in ODIs.</br> <i><b>Caption: Shikhar Dhawan tries to play a short delivery from South Africa's Morne Morkel, during their Cricket World Cup match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Reuters)</i></b> <br>Rahane has recorded an impressive strike rate of 131.66 – the highest by an Indian batsman in a World Cup innings of 75 or more against a Test side.</br> <i><b>Caption: South Africa's Dale Steyn miss fields a ball during their Cricket World Cup pool B match against India in Melbourne, Australia, Sunday. (AP)</i></b> <br>Rahane's above strike rate is the highest by a number four batsman in a World Cup innings of 50 or more against South Africa.</br> <i><b>Caption: Virat Kohli watches the ball during the Cricket World Cup match against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (Reuters)</i></b> <br>Dhawan and Rahane were involved in a 125-run stand – India's first century partnership for the third wicket vs South Africa in World Cups.</br> <i><b>Caption: Indian supporters hold up signs before the start of the Cricket World Cup against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) February 22, 2015. (Reuters)</i></b> <br>India have posted five century stands vs South Africa in World Cups – three for the second wicket and one each for the first and third wickets.</br> <i><b>Caption: An Indian supporter, with his body painted and a replica trophy atop his head, waits for the start of the Cricket World Cup against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) February 22, 2015. (Reuters)</i></b> <br>Two century partnerships in an Indian innings have been recorded for the fourth time in World Cups.</br> <i><b>Caption: Indian supporters cheer ahead of their Cricket World Cup pool B match against South Africa in Melbourne, Australia. (AP)</i></b> -
Virat Kohli (2nd R) celebrates with teammates after they won their Cricket World Cup match against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) February 22, 2015. (Reuters)
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South Africa's Wayne Parnell (back) reacts as India's Ravindra Jadeja (C) and Suresh Raina (L) celebrate winning their Cricket World Cup match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) February 22, 2015. (Reuters)