Ingram's mind was elsewhere

Where was his mind?

In his stomach.

"I felt quite sick with a stomach bug so I didn't really have time to feel any nerves. In that way the illness might have worked in my favour!" Ingram revealed on Thursday.

Ingram, who only came into the side because AB de Villiers was resting a thigh strain, breezed his way to 46 off 43 balls to underline the richness of talent South Africa have at this World Cup.

Talent is one thing, but mental toughness is an entirely different matter, and the 25-year-old coped exceptionally well with a pressure situation against Ireland.

"There was a lot of adrenaline out there, and I really thrive on that. The pitch was up and down and a bit tricky, so I knew I had to play straighter. It was just a matter of sticking to our plans, not taking risks and building a partnership. In all matches on the sub-continent, partnerships are the key," Ingram said in explaining how he and JP Duminy rebuilt the innings after the early hiccup.

The left-handed Ingram was particularly impressive in the way he scored fluently from the start and he hinted that Ireland may have erred tactically in not keeping him on a tighter yoke.

"They kept trying to get wickets, which gave me opportunities to score and made it easier. I felt good from the start. After I hit my first ball, and it felt good, there was relief and I was able to get a good flow from the start," Ingram said.

Ingram said he had no idea who would be playing on Saturday against Bangladesh - if De Villiers returns and, depending on whether his back is up to keeping, Faf du Plessis or Morne van Wyk could sit out - but there is no doubt he relished his day in the sun in Kolkata.

"I was very excited to get a game, to get out there after a couple of months of not playing. One of the keys to my game is feeling the bat on the ball and playing, and I think I've hit more balls than ever before in the nets.

"But we have such a strong, well-balanced side that it's difficult for me to fit in. It's nice to have a system where there's a lot of competition, there's a lot in the side and also from guys back home," Ingram said.

Much of this competition comes from coach Corrie van Zyl's training regimen.

"There's a good feeling in the camp, training is of high quality and we're doing a lot of it and at high intensity too," the Warriors star said.

Although Ingram has made a rapid impact in this World Cup with a top-class innings against Ireland, the 2003 SA Schools captain is regarding this tour as a learning experience.

"I spoke to Corrie before the trip and said I see this tour as a big growth period for my game. I've only had three or four years for the Warriors and I've got 10 years left in my career, so this is a good time to learn," Ingram said.