Yuvraj Singh scripts dream Indian victory

India knocked the 1999 World Cup champions off their perch with a memorable 20-run victory over Australia in their ICC KnockOut quarterfinal on Saturday.

The victory, built on man of the match Yuvrav Singh's thrilling 84 and pressed home by a wonderful display in the field, puts India through to a semi-final meeting with the winners of the South Africa-England match on Tuesday.

And, it has to be said after the best contest of the tournament so far, India will now fancy their chances against any opposition. They played exceptional cricket on Saturday, spurred on, it seemed, by three-quarters of Nairobi's substantial Asian community.

The task of scoring 266 to beat India was made even more difficult for Australia when they were docked two overs for a slow over rate as the ICC KnockOut quarter-final started to build to a thrilling climax on Saturday.

But despite the handicap, the 1999 World Cup champions looked set to make a decent fist of it as they reached 140 for three at the 25-over mark. At that stage, Ricky Ponting had played himself in for 38 while one-day specialist Michael Bevan was on 29.

The Australians had lost Mark Waugh in the eighth over for 7 when he carved at a wide one outside off stump from Ajit Agarkar and top edged a catch down to Anil Kumble at third man.

Adam Gilchrist, who had taken 33 off 33 balls, including an uppercut six over third man off Zaheer Khan, tried to pull the left-arm quick through midwicket in the ninth over but got underneath the shot and succeeded only in lobbing it to Sourav Ganguly at mid-on.

Australia had sent in Ian Harvey to pinch-hit at the fall of the first wicket and he made 25 off 24 deliveries before falling to a brilliant catch by Yuvrav Singh who leaped to his left at wide mid-off to cling onto a stinging drive. The catch gave Venkatesh Prasad his first wicket of the innings.

At the 15-over mark Australia were 84 for two, seven better than India at the same stage while after 25 overs India had been 131 for four. A huge six and a four from Ponting off successive deliveries from Prasad had edged Australia ahead in a straight comparison, but the two overs lost through tardiness in the field looked likely still to come back and haunt Australia.

The Australians, though, had given themselves an extra weight to carry by bowling out their 50 overs too slowly during India's 265 for nine. They were docked two overs for their sins, and these two overs took their toll as the pressure began to mount.

The defining moment of the match, though, probably came in the 29th over of the Australian innings after Ricky Ponting and Michael Bevan had put on 73 in just less than 13 overs. Ponting, on 46 and fully in charge by then, pulled Sachin Tendulkar around the corner but Robin Singh leaped to his left to hold a quite magnificent catch.

It was a superb piece of cricket, but Yuvrav Singh went close to matching it three overs and four runs later when his pickup, throw and direct hit from mid-on beat Bevan to the bowler's end. Bevan was gone for 42 off 57 deliveries, Australia were 163 for five and the target had suddenly slipped a little further into the distance.

With Steve Waugh at the crease, Australia could never be entirely written off, but his task became more difficult when Robin Singh produced an off-cutter to bowl Damien Martyn through the gate for 1 at 169 for six in the 34th over.

All-rounder Shane Lee, perhaps Australia's last remaining batsmen, also fell victim to another excellent piece of fielding when he was run out for 1 by Saurav Ganguly's direct hit at the bowler's end at 189 for seven in the 37th over.

Yet Australia were still not finished. Brett Lee hammered Zaheer Khan out of the ground with the biggest hit of the day and then drove Anil Kumble for six over long-off to keep the target in sight.

But at the beginning of the 43rd over Zaheer, now on at the Forest Road end, clean bowled Steve Waugh for 23 to bring Jason Gillespie to the crease. All Australia's hopes now rested on the shoulders of Brett Lee. Only a single came off the over and with five overs left, Australia still needed 41 to win.

And then Lee went, mistiming a pull off Ajit Agarkar for Ganguly to dive forward and hold the catch at midwicket. Lee's cameo had produced 31 off 28 balls, but Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath were all Australia had left.

McGrath edged a four off Zaheer, Gillespie managed 14 off Agarkar's eighth over, but Robin Singh ended it all by diving forward at backward point to catch Gillespie off Venkatesh Prasad.

Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar provided the early excitement having been put into bat by Steve Waugh initially. Later, the second half of the innings belonged to Yuvraj Singh who hammered out 84 as India reached 266 for nine off their 50 overs.

Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly knew they had to pull something special out of the bag. Glen McGrath equally not one to miss out on a big occasion came out with all guns blazing. He almost drew first blood as a top edged pull from an overly aggressive Tendulkar flew over thirdman for six. In the next over though, Tendulkar pulled one back against the Aussie quick as he gave him the charged and lofted the ball back over his head for a huge six. If that was not enough, Tendulkar launched himself into a ball on the leg stump and carted it out of the ground for a huge six.

The party did not last long though. After he made a murderous 38 that included three sixes and as many boundaries, Tendulkar edged a quick ball from Brett Lee into the waiting hands of Martyn in the slips.

Ganguly who had been playing a quiet role till then could not capitalise and he too was dismissed after he had made a start. Rahul Dravid, who looked fluent for a brief bit flicked a ball from Jason Gillespie straight down the throat of Shane Lee at square leg.

Vinod Kambli who played a good cameo against Kenya came up with a similar performance against the stronger Aussies. Unfortunately that's all his knock was - a cameo. His 29 run essay was cut short by partnership breaker Steve Waugh. Playing with an angled bat, Kambli edged the ball through to the waiting gloves of Adam Gilchrist.

Coming in to bat in the crucial match, Yuvraj Singh was up against the charged up pace of Glen McGrath, Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie. Yuvraj Singh walked out to the crease with India's main batsmen back in the pavilion. Displaying no signs of nervousness, Yuvraj cracked the very second ball he faced to the boundary. In the company of the experienced Robin Singh, Yuvraj took the attack to the opposition. Playing the cover drive with elan, Yuvraj Singh missed no opportunity to attack. When the ball was on his pads, he tucked it away to the on side with fierce power.

Before the Aussies could gather their wits, Yuvraj Singh slammed eight fours in his 47 ball half century. Even after he lost the company of Robin Singh and stumper Vijay Dahiya, the lad from Chandigarh did not slow down. Getting his act together, he understood the value of capitalising on a start and worked his way on. When he was 84 off just 80 balls, Yuvraj Singh skied a ball in an attempt to accelerate the scoring. The fact that the next highest score in the innings was 38 from Sachin Tendulkar speaks volumes for the quality of Yuvraj Singh's innings.

Robin Singh fell for 19 before he was bowled off the inside by Ian Harvey and wicketkeeper Vijay Dahiya went for 5 when Waugh atoned for his earlier lapse by holding onto to a sharp chance at slip off Brett Lee.

And when Ajit Agarkar top-edged Shane Lee down to fine leg for 3 to reduced India to 222 for seven in the 43rd over, the batting side were in danger of squandering Singh's splendid efforts by being bowled out inside their full quota of overs.

Australia finally managed to get rid off him in the 47th over when he top-edged an attempted pull off Shane Lee. The bowler gratefully accepted a high return catch and Singh was out for 84 off 80 balls in an innings that included 12 fours.

Anil Kumble and Zaheer Khan added 19 for the ninth wicket and Venkatesh Prasad hit Ian Harvey over extra cover for six off the last ball of the innings to ensure that Australia would have to score at 5.32 an over to win.