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India set up final clash with Pakistan

An Indian fan celebrates after India beat Australia by 15 runs in the Twenty20 Cricket World Championship semi-final in Durban, South Africa, on Saturday. PHOTO: AFP

Yuvraj Singh scored 70 runs off 30 balls to help India defeat Australia by 15 runs on Saturday in the World Twenty20 semi-finals.

Pakistan also advanced to today's final in Johannesburg with a six-wicket win over New Zealand earlier on Saturday.

Yuvraj's innings catapulted India's score to 188-5 after captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and chose to bat at the Kingsmead Stadium. Australia were restricted to 173-7 in reply after fine performances by all of the Indian bowlers.

India's batsmen started slowly in the face of a hostile opening spell from Brett Lee, and nagging accuracy from Nathan Bracken.

Virender Sehwag was the first to be dismissed, going in the sixth over after only scoring 9 off 13 balls.

Gautam Gambhir made 24 off 25 balls before Yuvraj came in, putting on 94 in partnership with Robin Uthappa for the third wicket.

Uthappa was impressive enough with 34 off 28 balls, including a four and three sixes, but he was overshadowed by the hitting of Yuvraj who opened his scoring with a huge six off Lee.

He hit four more sixes and added four fours in his innings, and his hitting allowed Dhoni to tee off and hit 36 off 18 balls.

Australia's batsmen started aggressively, with Adam Gilchrist scoring 22 off 13 balls before fast bowler Sree Sreesanth took his wicket. Sreesanth's second over was a maiden, and he finished with 2-12 off four overs. He also got rid of Matthew Hayden, who finished with 62 off 47 balls, including four fours and four sixes.

After Hayden's departure, Australia's batting faltered.

In the first semi-final, Imran Nazir scored his first Twenty20 half-century to lead Pakistan over New Zealand.

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori won the toss at the Newlands Stadium and his team scored 143-8 in their 20 overs. Pakistan chased the target down easily, reaching 147-4 with seven balls to spare.

New Zealand got off to a good start with a 50-run partnership between opening batsmen Brendon McCullum and Lou Vincent, but a 33-minute break for rain broke the rhythm of the innings, and Vincent fell to a sharp caught-and-bowled chance off Fawad Alam when he had 28.

McCullum fell soon afterward for 26.

The New Zealand middle order all managed to get starts, but none of them turned them into big scores.

Pakistan's innings got off to a good but controversial start. Nazir called for a runner without appearing to have been injured.

Nazir's 59 in 41 balls was punctuated by three fours and five sixes, and he shared in an opening stand of 60 with Mohammad Hafeez, who was second top scorer with 32 off 21 balls.
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