Shikhar Dhawan's ton sets up massive win for India

Shikhar Dhawan plundered a mammoth 146-ball 137 to help India beat South Africa by a huge 130-run margin in their World Cup 2015 Group B match at the MCG on Sunday.

India's captain MS Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat first. India stumbled at the start as opener Rohit Sharma was run out in just the third over of the match.

South Africa's famed new-ball attack of Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander kept a tight line and maintained the pressure on Dhawan and Virat Kohli, but they were unable to find another wicket.

The duo began slowly and made sure India had a solid platform. India managed just 50 in their first 13 overs and a normally aggressive Dhawan reached 50 from 70 balls.

The Kohli-Dhawan combine added 127 runs for the second wicket. The stand was finally broken in the 25th over, when Kohli was dismissed for a well-made 46.

Dhawan was joined by an inform Ajinkya Rahane in the middle and the left-hander raced to his first century in three months spent in Australia.

Dhawan didn't stop after he reached three figures. He went on to score his personal best and also the highest individual score against South Africa in a World Cup match. He clubbed 16 fours and two sixes in his innings. Rahane also thumped a 60-ball 79 to help India post an impressive 307 in their innings.

India's bowlers struck in just the fourth over and dismissed opener Quinton de Kock for just seven. Hashim Amla and Faf du Plesis added 28 runs , before Mohit Sharma had Amla caught on the boundary.

AB de Villiers and du Plesis then showed glimpses of a fight and added 68 for the third wicket, but de Villiers' dismissal in the 23rd over, prompted a collapse.

R Ashwin, Mohit Sharma, Mohammad Shami and Ravindra Jadeja claimed wickets and dismissed the remaining South African batsmen for just 69 runs. South Africa managed just 177 in reply.

"I would say it's a great feeling," Dhawan said. "It was important that the partnerships were going big for my team. That was my plan. We lost the early wicket today, AB hit a great run out. Just wanted to stay at the wicket, respected the good balls. I was relaxed, I knew once set I could bring up the run rate again. After 20-25th over I was in, and I knew I could get boundaries easily. [Kohli and Rahane] batted beautifully. Virat at the start when we were under pressure, gave the stability, and Jinky started on a good note, and his strike rate was good so I could relax at the other end."