India, Feb. 7 -- India, the defending champions and outright title favourites as many claimed, were brought back to reality on Saturday evening in front of a near-capacity Wankhede crowd, as the USA dictated terms for much of the innings. Shadley van Schalkwyk's historic triple-wicket over triggered a stunning collapse, with India six down inside the first 13 overs for just 77 runs. Yet the two-time champions clobbered 84 runs in the final seven overs, riding entirely on a composed yet destructive Suryakumar Yadav, who produced a near-perfect captain's knock to keep the hosts firmly in the contest.

The host broadcasters had issued a '300 alert' well before the start of the match. And why not? After watching India's merciless treatment of...