News
Friday, March 25, 2011
India knock out Australia to set up Pakistan blockbuster
AHMEDABAD: Yuvraj Singh was India’s hero yet again as the hosts ended Australia’s 12-year-reign as World Cup champions with a five wicket quarter-final victory on Thursday. The left-hander’s unbeaten 57 – his fourth fifty of a tournament where he is averaging over a hundred– saw his team home after they’d been wobbling at 187 for five. But India reached their target of 261 with 14 balls to spare. Victory set up a dream semi-final against arch-rivals Pakistan in Mohali on March 30. Australia captain Ricky Ponting scored his first international century in over a year in a total of 260 for six. But it wasn’t enough to maintain his team’s bid for an unprecedented fourth straight World Cup title and fifth in all.
India, aiming for a first World Cup title since 1983, needed 54 to win off the final 10 overs. Yuvraj eased fraying home nerves with a square-driven four off Brett Lee and, with erratic speedster Shaun Tait (one for 52 in seven overs) conceding 13 runs in the 41st over, the target became well under a run-a-ball.
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk