OMEN
09-23-2007, 10:29 AM
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A magnificent India held their nerve at the death to stun Australia and win their gripping ICC World Twenty20 semifinal by 15 runs at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Saturday.
Chasing a daunting Indian total of 188 for five, Australia went after the runs with punch-drunk effectiveness and looked on the verge of celebrating an epic victory when Matthew Hayden (62 off 47) and Andrew Symonds (43 off 26) took them to 148 for three with four overs remaining.
But then the Australian innings became derailed and India swept to a famous victory in front of an ecstatic, festive capacity crowd in Durban.
Adam Gilchrist (22) helped Hayden put on 36 for the first wicket in five overs, but Shanthakumaran Sreesanth showed he is capable of being a force in limited-overs cricket much like a Shaun Tait or a Lasith Malinga as he swung a fast ball through Gilchrist's defences to bowl him.
Brad Hodge was soon gone for 11 but Hayden and Symonds then batted with daring, innovation and tremendous power as they added 66 runs in six overs.
Sreesanth returned in the 15th over and sent a beautiful delivery swinging into Hayden's off stump.
Symonds would go two overs later, bowled as he tried to cut a delivery from Irfan Pathan that was too close to him and India's bowling just got better as victory neared.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh deceived Michael Clarke in the flight and bowled him for three in an 18th over that cost just three runs and showed the perception that spinners can't be effective at a small ground like Kingsmead is a lie.
Rudra Pratap Singh conceded just five runs in the penultimate over and Joginder Sharma, a military-medium bowler who is seemingly so hittable, kept his cool and conceded just seven runs in the last over.
Yuvraj Singh earlier blew Australia away as his love affair with Durban continued and he took India to a rock-solid 188 for five.
The left-hander landed five huges sixes in the crowd and hit five fours in his stunning 70 off just 30 balls and, even though the pitch is good and the boundaries small, Australia were under severe pressure chasing such a daunting score.
Yuvraj eventually holed out off slow left-arm spinner Michael Clarke, but the battered Australians had no respite as Indian captain Mahendra Dhoni then blasted 36 off 18 balls at the death.
The Australians were able to operate much as they liked at the start of the innings, with Mitchell Johnson tearing through the top-order with two wickets in his opening spell.
But the warning bells began clanging as soon as Yuvraj came to the crease. He sent his second delivery, from Stuart Clark, sailing over midwicket and, when the ball wasn't flying over their heads, it was scorching the Australian fielders' shins as Yuvraj showed scintillating power and timing.
Robin Uthappa was less exuberant, but played well for 34 off 28 balls as 84 runs were added in six-and-a-half overs, eventually falling as confusion in the running between the wickets gave the Australians a hint of a chance and Andrew Symonds took it with a direct hit.
Johnson emerged as the bowler with most credit as he did not shy away from bowling the last over and he kept the runs down to just five and four leg-byes.
Brett Lee was fast and furious up front and he conceded just 25 runs in his four overs, but Yuvraj cut loose against everyone else.
After his six sixes in an over against England and Saturday night's showing, he is surely the new King of Kingsmead - his ball-striking so wonderfully pure that he is sheer hell to bowl to.
India will now reacquaint themselves with Pakistan in the final, to be played at the Wanderers on Monday.
It will be a contest that is not for the faint-hearted. India were not shy to mix it with the Aussies on Saturday and angry words were exchanged on several occasions.
But India were ultimately left yelling a famous victory while Australia were whispering. A number of questions have been asked about their cool enthusiasm for twenty20 cricket, but they were major contributors in a night of superb entertainment in Durban.
Teams
India - Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Mahendra Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Irfan Pathan, Joginder Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Rudra Pratap Singh, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.
Australia - Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark.
A magnificent India held their nerve at the death to stun Australia and win their gripping ICC World Twenty20 semifinal by 15 runs at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead on Saturday.
Chasing a daunting Indian total of 188 for five, Australia went after the runs with punch-drunk effectiveness and looked on the verge of celebrating an epic victory when Matthew Hayden (62 off 47) and Andrew Symonds (43 off 26) took them to 148 for three with four overs remaining.
But then the Australian innings became derailed and India swept to a famous victory in front of an ecstatic, festive capacity crowd in Durban.
Adam Gilchrist (22) helped Hayden put on 36 for the first wicket in five overs, but Shanthakumaran Sreesanth showed he is capable of being a force in limited-overs cricket much like a Shaun Tait or a Lasith Malinga as he swung a fast ball through Gilchrist's defences to bowl him.
Brad Hodge was soon gone for 11 but Hayden and Symonds then batted with daring, innovation and tremendous power as they added 66 runs in six overs.
Sreesanth returned in the 15th over and sent a beautiful delivery swinging into Hayden's off stump.
Symonds would go two overs later, bowled as he tried to cut a delivery from Irfan Pathan that was too close to him and India's bowling just got better as victory neared.
Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh deceived Michael Clarke in the flight and bowled him for three in an 18th over that cost just three runs and showed the perception that spinners can't be effective at a small ground like Kingsmead is a lie.
Rudra Pratap Singh conceded just five runs in the penultimate over and Joginder Sharma, a military-medium bowler who is seemingly so hittable, kept his cool and conceded just seven runs in the last over.
Yuvraj Singh earlier blew Australia away as his love affair with Durban continued and he took India to a rock-solid 188 for five.
The left-hander landed five huges sixes in the crowd and hit five fours in his stunning 70 off just 30 balls and, even though the pitch is good and the boundaries small, Australia were under severe pressure chasing such a daunting score.
Yuvraj eventually holed out off slow left-arm spinner Michael Clarke, but the battered Australians had no respite as Indian captain Mahendra Dhoni then blasted 36 off 18 balls at the death.
The Australians were able to operate much as they liked at the start of the innings, with Mitchell Johnson tearing through the top-order with two wickets in his opening spell.
But the warning bells began clanging as soon as Yuvraj came to the crease. He sent his second delivery, from Stuart Clark, sailing over midwicket and, when the ball wasn't flying over their heads, it was scorching the Australian fielders' shins as Yuvraj showed scintillating power and timing.
Robin Uthappa was less exuberant, but played well for 34 off 28 balls as 84 runs were added in six-and-a-half overs, eventually falling as confusion in the running between the wickets gave the Australians a hint of a chance and Andrew Symonds took it with a direct hit.
Johnson emerged as the bowler with most credit as he did not shy away from bowling the last over and he kept the runs down to just five and four leg-byes.
Brett Lee was fast and furious up front and he conceded just 25 runs in his four overs, but Yuvraj cut loose against everyone else.
After his six sixes in an over against England and Saturday night's showing, he is surely the new King of Kingsmead - his ball-striking so wonderfully pure that he is sheer hell to bowl to.
India will now reacquaint themselves with Pakistan in the final, to be played at the Wanderers on Monday.
It will be a contest that is not for the faint-hearted. India were not shy to mix it with the Aussies on Saturday and angry words were exchanged on several occasions.
But India were ultimately left yelling a famous victory while Australia were whispering. A number of questions have been asked about their cool enthusiasm for twenty20 cricket, but they were major contributors in a night of superb entertainment in Durban.
Teams
India - Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Mahendra Dhoni, Yuvraj Singh, Robin Uthappa, Irfan Pathan, Joginder Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Rudra Pratap Singh, Shanthakumaran Sreesanth.
Australia - Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Brad Hodge, Andrew Symonds, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Bracken, Stuart Clark.