Defending Champions India maintained their 100% winning record in the ICC World Cup 2015 as they hardly dropped a sweat in their 9 wicket win over UAE at Perth. With this, India, Ireland and New Zealand are the only teams to maintain a 100 percent record so far in the tournament.
Chasing 103 to win, India cruised home with just less than 32 overs to spare courtesy a classy fifty by Opener Rohit Sharma, who showed some glimpses of form. India started off slowly as both Rohit and Shikhar Dhawan saw off the threat in the initial overs before they took on the bowlers. Both looked in good touch but Dhawan was dismissed for 14 by Mohammad Naveed caught by Rohan Mustafa, who took a stunning one hander at backward point. India’s Mr. Dependable joined Rohit in the crease as the duo rotated the strike well and treated the bowlers on merit. They did not let the run rate dip as they scored boundaries at regular intervals.
Rohit reached 24th ODI fifty with a boundary off UAE Skipper Mohammad Tauqir before finishing the match with a boundary down the ground. Rohit and Kohli remained not-out on 57 and 33 respectively. India will face West Indies next at the same venue on Friday. Earlier in the day, R Ashwin’s career best ODI figures of 4-25 helped India to restrict UAE to 102, the lowest ever total against India in a World Cup match. Ashwin was also named as the Man of the Match.
Brief Scores: UAE 102 in 31.3 overs (Shaiman Anwar 35, R Ashwin 4-25, Umesh YAdav 2-15) lost to India 104-1 in 18.4 overs (Rohit Sharma 57*, Virat Kohli 33*) by 9 wickets.