ODI World Cup digest: South Africa's record-breaking batting; India-Australia offer mouthwatering match-up

Bangladesh put in an impressive all-round display to open their tournament with victory over Afghanistan

ESPNcricinfo staff07-Oct-20231:16

Steyn: Markram played good cricket shots and they travelled a mile

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Top Story: Markram, van der Dussen and de Kock flay centuries in huge South Africa display

A trio of centuries, including the fastest ever in a World Cup, saw South Africa lay down a commanding marker as they kicked off their World Cup campaign with an authoritative 102-run win over Sri Lanka in Delhi. Progressively more emphatic centuries from Rassie van der Dussen, Quinton de Kock and Aiden Markram would in the end prove to be the decisive contributions as a valiant Sri Lankan outfit fell foul of a scary good South African outfit flexing their batting might.Click here for the full reportAnd catch up with all the records that were broken here

Match analysis: South Africa defy the gloom

This is a different South African team to the ones we are used to. They come here with great numbers against spin. Since the start of 2022, they average 42 against spin in the middle overs at a-run-a-ball, the best by a distance. In Markram and Heinrich Klaasen, they have two of the most-sought-after middle-overs batters. And yet even those building them up were a little circumspect because, after all, they did lose to spin in a T20 World Cup that they were among the favourites to win last year.Starting in Delhi against a side that relies on slower bowlers was going to be challenging, but a relaid surface didn’t quite test South Africa on the conditions front. With that rider out of the way, South Africa did serve a warning to other contenders. The highest World Cup total, the quickest World Cup century, three centuries in one innings should be enough for the world to sit up and take notice, but it was the assured, unhurried manner in which they went about doing it that will concern the others.Read the full story from Sidharth Monga in Delhi

Mehidy stars as Bangladesh make early mark against Afghanistan

Mehidy Hasan Miraz put in a starring all-round performance for Bangladesh•ICC via Getty Images

Shakib Al Hasan’s three-wicket haul and Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s all-round show helped Bangladesh kick off their 2023 ODI World Cup campaign with a thumping six-wicket win in Dharamsala. For Afghanistan, it was their 13th successive defeat at the World Cup, a streak stretching back all the way to 2015.After being sent in, Afghanistan got off to a solid start before Shakib changed the momentum with the wickets of Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah. Afghanistan could never recover from there, slipping from 83 for 1 to 156 all out. Mehidy, who had contributed to that collapse with a three-wicket haul of his own, then struck a half-century, albeit a chancy one, from No. 3. Najmul Hossain Shanto, too, continued his excellent form with an unbeaten 59 as Bangladesh wrapped up the game with more than 15 overs to spare.Full report

Match analysis: How it fell apart for Afghanistan

First with the bat and then in the field, they brought about their own demise. Rahmat Shah’s dismissal, miscuing a slog sweep against the spin off the first ball after drinks, set about a capitulation of 9 for 73. Perhaps surprised by a slower pitch than most had anticipated, nobody in their middle order managed more than 22.Hashmatullah Shahidi, their captain, personified a collective failure to find the right tempo with the bat. He had pledged on the eve of their tournament opener to play positively, but struggled painfully to 5 off 22 at one stage, rendered shotless by Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Shakib.Read the full story from Matt Roller in Dharamsala

Must Watch: Steyn reflects on South African pain from past World Cups1:57

Steyn: You prepare to win the World Cup, but not for failure

News headlines

• Concerns have been raised about the standard of the sandy outfield in Dharamsala with Afghanistan coach Jonathan Trott saying Mujeeb Ur Rahman was lucky to escape serious injury.
• Pat Cummins has backed Glenn Maxwell to be able to stand up as Australia’s second frontline spinner at the World Cup ahead of their opening game against India.