Indian player's 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, Sunday, Feb. 22.Theo Karanikos/The Associated Press
India exuded supreme confidence as it claimed its first World Cup win over South Africa in decisive fashion Sunday with a 130-run victory in their Pool B match.
Player of the Match Shikhar Dhawan crafted a stylish century to set the platform for a big total of 307-7, ably assisted by a half century from Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli's 46.
India then dominated South Africa's batsmen with tight bowling and sharp fielding.
"Getting 300 runs was fantastic. It was definitely a par-plus score for this wicket," India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said. "And when we turned up with the ball I think we bowled in the right areas and made it tough for the opposition to score."
India is now undefeated in two pool matches at the World Cup after a 76-run win over archrival Pakistan last week.
"Having back-to-back wins, especially the kind of wins we've had in the last two games, is tough to get," Dhoni added.
The Indian bowlers never allowed South Africa to settle into its innings, claiming wickets with a regularity that denied the batsmen the chance to establish worthwhile partnerships.
Offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin had India's best figures of 3-41, while Mohammed Shami (2-30) and Mohit Sharma (2-31) took two wickets each in an assured bowling display.
"It's a big knock for us to get beaten by 130 runs. It's almost embarrassing," South Africa captain A.B. de Villiers said.
The game was a home match for India, as more than 86,000 — mainly Indian — fans turned the Melbourne Cricket Ground into a sea of the team's blue, punctuated only by Indian flags waving around the stadium.
"It's always good to play in front of good support," Dhoni said. "Definitely we need to give a lot of credit to (the India fans) so I think it's really heartening to see people come from all over."
Quinton de Kock looked unsettled and made just seven before he was caught by Kohli off Shami in the fourth over. His opening partner Hashim Amla made 22 before top edging a short-pitched Sharma ball to Shami at long leg.
De Villiers, who was responsible for two Indian run outs, was himself caught out of his crease thanks to a sharp Mohit return over the wickets. The South Africa captain made 30 in his brief, but confident knock off 38 balls.
Francois Du Plessis top scored for South Africa with 55. He brought up his half century shortly before being caught by Dhawan at mid-off from the bowling of Sharma. J.P. Duminy was then out for six attempting a reverse sweep, caught by Raina in slips off Ashwin.
David Miller (22) became the fourth run out of the match thanks to an excellent return throw from Umesh, and Vernon Philander was out for a duck two balls later in the same over, trapped lbw.
"I felt we had a chance halfway through the game, but unfortunately we just lost our way completely with the bat in hand," de Villiers said. "The two run outs were unacceptable in the top-six. We can't afford those kinds of things. We were just outplayed today."
From then on, South Africa added just 24 runs for its last three wickets to finish on 177 all out.
Earlier, Dhawan treated South Africa's much-vaunted bowling attack with disdain as he placed his shots around the MCG at will to reach 137 — the highest individual World Cup score against South Africa.
De Villiers gave South Africa a promising start after India won the toss and elected to bat, scoring a direct hit on the stumps after a diving stop, catching Rohit Sharma well out of his crease and yet to score in the third over.
Dhawan and Virat Kohli set about restoring India's platform with some stylish stroke play from either end of the crease in a 127-run second wicket partnership.
Kohli made an attractive 46 before succumbing to the spin of Imran Tahir (1-48), clipping the ball straight to the chest of Faf du Plessis at short mid-wicket.
Ajinkya Rahane had 79 off 60 balls and shared a 125-run partnership with Dhawan for the fourth wicket.
"It was important that the partnerships were going big for my team," Dhawan said. "That was my plan. ... I was relaxed, I knew once set I could bring up the run rate again."
Dhawan fittingly raised his century with a four through point off Parnell, raising his bat with outstretched arms and looking skyward to a standing ovation and the sustained roar of an appreciative crowd.