Dhaka: India rode on some brilliant batting by Virat Kohli to overcome South Africa by 6 wickets and enter the final of the ICC World Twenty20
Kohli was in scintillating form scoring a 72 as India reached the target of 173 with 5 balls remaining in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20 at Dhaka’s at Sher-e-Bangla stadium on Friday.
Kohli’s match-winning innings came off 44 balls and included 5 boundaries and 2 sixes.
Earlier, skipper Faf du Plessis struck an attractive half-century to guide South Africa to 172-4.
Du Plessis scored 41-ball 58 for his fifth Twenty20 fifty and added 71 for the third wicket with Jean-Paul Duminy who made an unbeaten 40-ball 45 after South Africa won the toss and opted to bat.
Du Plessis, who missed South Africa’s last game against England because of a slow over-rate suspension, hit five boundaries and two towering sixes as the duo negotiated an Indian spin quartet with aggressive batting.
South Africa lost opener Quinton de Kock (six) in the first over before Hashim Amla and Du Plessis took the score to 44 in the fifth over.
But Ravichandran Ashwin, who took 3-22 in his four overs, put the brakes on South Africa’s progress, claiming Amla (22) and then dangerman AB de Villiers (ten) off a miscued pull shot which was smartly held by Rohit Sharma at long leg.
In between du Plessis and Duminy batted with guts to take South Africa to 115 before Ashwin bowled du Plessis off a miscued sweep.
Duminy, who hit three sixes and a four, added another 43 for the unbroken fifth wicket with Andrew Miller (23 not out) to help South Africa add 106 in the last ten overs.
Amit Mishra, India’s most successful bowler in the Super-10 stage, went for 36 runs in his three overs without taking a wicket.
India remained unchanged from the side which beat Australia on Tuesday while South Africa brought in du Plessis for Farhan Behardien.
Brief Scores: South Africa: 172/4 in 20 overs (Faf du Plessis 58, JP Duminy not out 45; R Ashwin 3/22). India: 176 for 4 in 19.1 overs (Virat Kohli 72 not out, Ajinkya Rahane 32; Beuran Hendricks 2/31)
