In the end, the difference was the execution of the powerplays. South Africa smashed 42 runs, losing just the one wicket, while Australia could manage only 27, and lost their top three batsmen.
Recalling the debacle, Bravo said that a message at 3 am from the then BCCI chief N Srinivasan prompted him to convince his team to play the first ODI after threatening to pull out.
The left-handed opener hit 103 not out from 189 balls after being asked to follow on to help Madhya Pradesh salvaged a draw against Bengal in an Elite Group B game at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Thursday.
India are ranked 97th, 15 places above Jordan in the FIFA rankings. But the rankings will have very little to no bearing when India travel to the western-most part of continental Asia for a friendly.
The 10th edition of the championship is being hosted in Delhi for the second time, after 2006. India have fielded a 10-member squad for the event, with MC Mary Kom leading the charge.
Rooney made his England debut in February 2007, then as a 17-year-old to become the youngest player to Three Lions. He is currently with DC United in Major League Soccer (MLS).
The win helped India enter the semi-finals for the third time in the tournament's history, and for the first time since 2010. India were the semi-finalists in the first two editions of the tournament, in 2009 and 2010, but failed to escape first round in the three subsequent editions.
