Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Cricket World Cup 2011: India v West Indies, match report

Cricket World Cup 2011: India v West Indies, match report

Group B: India (268) beat West Indies (188) by 80 runs

Cricket World Cup 2011: India v West Indies, match report

Game changer: Zaheer Khan picks up three wickets to swing match India's way Photo: AP

By Telegraph staff and agencies 4:44PM GMT 20 Mar 2011

Comments

Yuvraj Singh scored his maiden World Cup century, and took two wickets, as India beat the West Indies to set up a quarter-final against defending champions Australia.

West Indies, set 269 to win, finished on 188 all out with seven overs left.

India's victory in the last match of the group phase means they will face Australia, bidding for a fourth straight World Cup title, and fifth in total, in Ahmedabad on Thursday.

West Indies, whose run of one-day international defeats against leading nations was extended to 18 by this reverse, will face Pakistan in Bangladesh in their last eight clash on Wednesday.

While Devon Smith, doing his best to compensate for the absence of injured fellow left-handed opener Chris Gayle, was making 81, the West Indies were in the hunt.

But Smith's exit sparked a collapse that saw the last eight wickets lost for 34 runs as the Windies slumped from 154 for two.

When Zaheer Khan returned to the attack Smith looked uncomfortable and he was bowled by a fine ball from the left-arm quick that cut in a touch. India's spinners then took over.

Big-hitting Kieron Pollard tried launching Harbhajan Singh only to find Yusuf Pathan at long-on.

West Indies, on the ground where just days earlier they had surrendered a winning position in an 18-run defeat by England, then saw Devon Thomas stumped by wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni off a well-flighted delivery from left-arm spinner Yuvraj, who took two for 18.

And West Indies captain Darren Sammy was then run out before Yuvraj dismissed Andre Russell for a duck.

Earlier, Yuvraj's 113 was the cornerstone of India's 268 but the host nation lost their last six wickets for just 36 runs.

Ravi Rampaul marked his World Cup debut with a career-best five for 51 including the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar.

That surpassed the fast bowler's 4-37 against India in Kingston in June 2009 - the last time the West Indies beat a top nation in a one-dayer.

Yuvraj's innings revived a 38,000 capacity Chidambaram Stadium crowd stunned into silence by the early loss of Tendulkar for two.

Yuvraj and Virat Kohli (59) shared a third-wicket stand of 122 after India were reduced to 51-2 following an early double strike by Rampaul, in for Kemar Roach.

Yuvraj faced 123 balls and hit two sixes and 10 fours in an innings that ended when he was caught and bowled by Pollard.

India were already in the quarter-finals and many fans hoped to see Tendulkar score his 100th international century.

But Rampaul had Tendulkar, undone by a lifting delivery, caught behind off the last ball of the first over.

Australia umpire Steve Davis rejected Rampaul's appeal but Tendulkar walked off anyway.

world cup debut, cricket world cup, cricket world cup 2011, mahendra singh, devon thomas, devon smith, eight wickets, telegraph staff, last match, australia west, yuvraj, chris gayle, straight world, group phase, windies, pathan, host nation, west indies, left arm, wicket

Telegraph.feedsportal.com

No comments:

Post a Comment