Yuvraj Singh's six sixes in one over proved too much for England to chase on Wednesday with India winning the World Twenty20 match by 18 runs.
England needed exactly 36 off the final over to win and finished at 200-6 in reply to India's 218-4.
Yuvraj became the first player in a Twenty20 international to hit six sixes in one over.
PHOTO: AFP
The lefthander hit the first delivery from Stuart Broad out of the Kingsmead stadium, and followed with five more sixes in the 19th over of the Super Eight match.
England had already exited the tournament after South Africa earlier beat New Zealand.
India won the toss and chose to bat. It was set up by a 136-run opening partnership between Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, which set the platform for Yuvraj's extraordinary assault.
Sehwag made 68 off 52 balls, and Gambhir 58 off 41.
Yuvraj was out for 58 after scoring the fastest 50 in this form of the game -- off just 12 balls.
It was sweet revenge for Yuvraj who, as a bowler, was hit for five sixes by England allrounder Dimitri Mascarenhas in a one-day international series in England on Sept. 5.
England made a strong attempt at achieving the run-rate, with Vikram Solanki topscoring with 43 off 31 balls.
Earlier, Solanki again stood in as wicketkeeper for England after Matt Prior broke his right thumb on Monday during practice.
Rudra Singh, who took 2-28 in four overs, and Irfan Pathan's 3-37 kept England in check.
India was to meet South Africa last night in a game it had to win if it is to overtake New Zealand for a place in the semi-finals.
Earlier at Kingsmead, Justin Kemp hit a total of six sixes in his undefeated 89 to lead South Africa to a six-wicket win over New Zealand.
South Africa scored 158-4 in 19.1 overs in reply to New Zealand's total of 153-8.
South Africa captain Graeme Smith won the toss and chose to bowl. The New Zealand openers responded by putting on 68 by the ninth over. Brendon McCullum hit 38 off 26 balls, and Lou Vincent 32 off 29.
Morne Morkel came on to grab two wickets in his first over -- McCullum, who was caught by wicketkeeper Mark Boucher, and Ross Taylor (1).
Morkel later returned as New Zealand tried to accelerate in the final four overs, and he bowled Jacob Oram for 15 and dismissed Shane Bond for a duck to finish with 4-17
Craig McMillan hit an undefeated 48 from 25 balls, with two fours and four sixes.
Meanwhile, World Cup champion Australia may lose its captain for the remainder of the tournament after Ricky Ponting pulled a hamstring while batting in Tuesday's defeat against Pakistan.
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