Captain guides India past Kenya

Taking the field after losing the toss, the Indians acted as though they were still celebrating last weekend’s win. Catches were dropped, eyes were on anything but the ball and there was a general lethargy and lack of focus.

The Kenyans, by contrast, were all energy and sharp reflexes when they had their turn fielding. The smell of disaster hung in the air as both openers and Kaif followed in rapid succession. At 24/3, it needed something special. For the first time in ages, the captain took control and won the game for his team.

His century was assured, peppered with the pulls and drives he favoured in his pomp. As the threat of rain — and the attendant pair of Duckworth and Lewis — loomed large, and with India in an unfavourable position near the 25-over mark, Ganguly it was who fired off the boundaries to step up the scoring rate. He was helped by two solid partnerships, first with the ever-dependable Dravid and then with Yuvraj, who seems to have added maturity to his other prodigious qualities. The two princes steered India home but not before a series of scares.

Next up are Sri Lanka who, though battered and bruised by the world champions today, will have lots to play for at Johannesburg on Monday. So will India, if only to convince themselves that they have it in them to go for the Big One.