MELBOURNE: Delhi-born Shikhar Dhawan calls a leafy Melbourne suburb home for much of the year but on Sunday might have thought he was back in India when feted by a blue-clad horde of fans for a match-winning World Cup ton at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Dhawan's sparkling 137 fired India to an imposing total of 307-7, setting up a 130-run hammering of highly-fancied South Africa in their Pool B clash in front of a crowd of over 86,000, a record for the tournament so far.
For a man who knows Australian conditions intimately, Dhawan has had a forgettable summer Down Under with both the test and one-day teams but has found form at the right time for India's World Cup title defence.
Coming off a reviving 73 in India's opening win over arch-rivals Pakistan, the 29-year-old humbled South Africa's vaunted pace attack with the highest World Cup knock against the Proteas, also his biggest score in ODIs.
Wearing the twirled moustache of a circus ringmaster, Dhawan made tamed lions of the Proteas' attack, clubbing 16 fours and two sixes to thrill a crowd of 87,000, dominated by Indian fans including a hugely impressed VIP observer, Sachin Tendulkar.
“It was very important,” Dhawan said, as he accepted his man-of-the-match award.
“Of course, it's a great feeling for a player to score a century but, more than that, it was important that the partnerships should have been going big for the team.
“I wasn't hurrying, I was just relaxed ... I was just playing on the merit of the ball.”
At one stage, Dhawan smashed Dale Steyn over his head for six, prompting the fuming paceman to unleash a fierce short ball on the next delivery which the left-hander ramped behind the wicket for four.
His carefree ways were infectious as he shared a 127-run partnership with Virat Kohli (46) before combining with the explosive Ajinkya Rahane (79) for another 125.
When he holed out to Wayne Parnell at long leg, India were 261 for three in the 44th over and on the way to ensuring South Africa would need a record chase at the MCG.
India's bowlers skittled South Africa for 177 to complete victory and announce themselves as genuine contenders to defend the title they won on home soil in 2011.
