India beat SA, but failed to reach Semi final
COLOMBO – India failed to reach the World Twenty20 semi-finals despite beating South Africa by one run in a gripping final Super Eight Group Two match on Tuesd.
Put into bat, India scored 152 for six and needed to restrict South Africa within 121 to qualify for the semifinals on net run rate but Faf Du Plessis knocked the stuffing out of the Indian bowlers with a smashing half century that put paid to their hopes of making it to the knock-out stage.
India’s task was made all the more difficult after Pakistan comprehensively beat Australia by 32 runs in an earlier Super Eights match of the day as it strengthened their net run-rate.
Australia and Pakistan qualify for the semifinals from Group II.
South Africa were all out for 151 in the penultimate ball to end their campaign after losing all three of their Super Eights match.
For India, the magic figure was 121 and the start was a right one. Zaheer Khan bowled a perfect delivery first up to dismiss Hashim Amla. The delivery pitched on the off-middle line and then moved a shade to take the outside edge of Amlas bat as Virender Sehwag took a good catch diving to his left.
Irfan Pathan got Jacques Kallis to flick one which was taken by Rohit Sharma at mid-wicket. Faf du Plessis and skipper AB de Villiers then added 30 in quick time and it was Du Plessis who started taking on the Indian bowlers.
Dhoni brought Yuvraj at the end of the Powerplay overs and it immediately paid off as he got de Villiers to play a tentative forward defensive push which clipped the off-stump bail.
However, there was no stopping du Plessis who was in a mood to dispatch everything out of sight as he raced to his half century in 29 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes.
At the halfway stage, South Africa were 73 for three and it was literally impossible for India to restrict the Proteas to 121.
Earlier, Suresh Raina scored an useful 45 while skipper Dhoni played a little cameo to help India post a respectable 152 for six after being sent into bat.
It was Raina whose contribution was a significant one as he hit five boundaries during his 34-ball knock. Skipper Dhoni also should be complimented for his 13-ball 23 as it provided the necessary impetus and helped the team cross 150-run mark.
Dhoni hit Dale Steyn for 14 runs in the penultimate over, including two powerfully struck boundaries, which proved useful in the end.
India’s trouble started when they lost their top three batsmen within the Powerplay overs and then it was Raina who scripted the recovery act.
Opener Gautam Gambhir started off with a lovely cover drive but Morne Morkel knocked down his middle-stump after scoring only eight.
