World T20: India crash out despite win; Pakistan in

GAURAV BHATTARAI

KATHMANDU: Though India beat South Africa by one run in World Twenty 20 in Super Eight match at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Sri Lanka on Tuesday, they failed to reach semifinals for Pakistan has reserved their place in semis with a better net run-rate.

India's net run rate is -0.452 at present, while their arch-rivals Pakistan have +0.273 run rate.

Indian cricketers were unable to restrict South Africa to 121 runs, which otherwise would have put them into the last four at Pakistan's expense.

South Africa reached 122 for five in the 17th over. They were eventually bowled out for 151 in 19.5 overs.

Today's match has sent the Pakistanis into the last four along with Australia.

Now Sri Lanka will face Pakistan and Australia will play against West Indies in the semi-finals. Australia made it to the final four even after losing their final group match with better run-rates.

Teams

India: MS Dhoni (c), Gautam Gambhir, Ravichandran Ashwin, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Irfan Pathan, Suresh Raina, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Yuvraj Singh.

South Africa: AB de Villiers (c), Hashim Amla, Farhaan Behardien, Johan Botha, JP Duminy, Francois du Plessis, Jacques Kallis, Albie Morkel, Morne Morkel, Robin Peterson.

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (SRI) and Rod Tucker (AUS)

Match referee: Jeff Crowe (NZL)

Scoreboard:

* India

G. Gambhir b M. Morkel 8

V. Sehwag b Peterson 17

V. Kohli c de Villiers b Kallis 2

R. Sharma lbw b Peterson 25

Y. Singh b M. Morkel 21

S. Raina run out 45

M. Dhoni not out 23

DETAILS:

Jamshed leads Pak to 149-6

I did not take any drug: Rehman

Pakistan beat Aussie by 32 runs

Oz win toss, send Pak to bat

Seniors' experience helped India

Extras: (lb10, nb1) 11

Total: (for six wickets, 20 overs) 152

Fall of wickets: 1-23 (Gambhir), 2-30 (Kohli), 3-36 (Sehwag), 4-68 (Yuvraj), 5-112 (Sharma), 6-152 (Raina).

Bowling: Steyn 4-1-26-0, M. Morkel 4-0-28-2 (nb1), Kallis 3-0-24-1, Peterson 4-0-25-2, Botha 3-0-30-0, de Plessis 1-0-3-0, Duminy 1-0-6-0

* South Africa

Hashim Amla c Sehwag b Khan 0

J. Kallis c Sharma b Pathan 6

AB de Villiers b Yuvraj 13

F. du Plessis c Raina b Yuvraj 65

JP Duminy c Gambhir b Balaji 16

F. Behardien c Raina b Khan 13

R. Peterson b Khan 10

A. Morkel b Balaji 10

J. Botha c Raina b Ashwin 8

D. Steyn not out 0

M. Morkel b Balaji 6

Extras: (lb3, nb1) 4

Total: (all out, 19.5 overs) 151

Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Amla), 2-16 (Kallis), 3-46 (de Villiers), 4-95 (du Plessis), 5-107 (Duminy), 6-127 (Behardien), 7-127 (Peterson), 8-138 (Botha), 9-145 (A. Morkel).

Bowling: Khan 4-0-22-3, Pathan 3-0-26-1, Yuvraj 4-0-23-2, Sharma 1-0-13-0, Ashwin 4-0-27-1, Balaji 3.5-0-37-3