India send Aussies packing

Powered by a 30 ball 70 by India’s new found hero Yuvraj Singh, India made sure that the mighty Aussies packed their bags and go home before the final when they lost the semi-final by 15 runs at Kingsmeed Durban yesterday.

India choosing to bat after winning the toss batted well against the seasoned Australian attack to keep a 5-6 run rate at the initial stages, but, once Yuvraj and Robin Uttappa (34) took charge of the two batting creases at either end the flood gates opened and India ended up with a match winning total of 189 for 4 in their allotted twenty overs.

The Indian inning contained ten hits over the ropes with Yuvraj hitting five of them. When the Aussies took to the crease it was India’s young medium pacer S. Srisanth who took early charge of the Australian batting. His first three overs yielded only 6 runs which included the wicket of the Australian opener Adam Gilchrist.

For Australia aging opener Mathew Hayden made valiant effort to salvage the game by hitting a breezy knock of 62 with four sixes, but that effort was not enough.