Australia crumble to India in WT20

Yuvraj Singh’s big-hitting assures India of a semi-final, while Ahmed Shehzad’s century helps Pakistan to an easy win.

India heaped more misery on Australia, steamrolling them by 73 runs in a Group Two match of the WT20 [AFP]

India heaped more misery on Australia, steamrolling them by 73 runs in a lop-sided Group Two match of the World Twenty20.

Put into bat, Yuvraj Singh shrugged off his poor form and scored 60 runs off 43 balls to help India to a competitive 159 for seven at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.

Yuvraj contributed in an 84-run partnership with his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (24) but fell in the final over that denied India the late surge they were looking for. 

In the second innings, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin claimed four wickets for 11 runs as Australia’s top half, teeming with power-hitters, imploded before the whole team folded for 86 in 16.2 overs for their third successive defeat in the tournament.

For the Aussies, Glenn Maxwell topscored with 23 as Australia pulled things back in the final overs to restrict India to a modest total, but their marquee batsmen once again put up a dismal show that has led to their elimination from the tournament.

Pakistan march on

Opener Ahmed Shehzad struck a superb maiden century as Pakistan handed a 50-run drubbing to Bangladesh in a World Twenty20 Group 2 game and kept in line for a place in the semifinals.

Shehzad scored 111 not out off just 62 deliveries with 10 fours and five sixes as Pakistan piled up 190-5 after electing to bat.

Bangladesh’s poor run in the tournament, which saw them lose to Hong Kong during the qualifying stage apart from a barren run in the Super 10, continued as their batsmen failed to put up a fight.

Pace bowler Umar Gul grabbed 3-30 and off-spinner Saeed Ajmal took 2-20 as Bangladesh were restricted to 140-7.

Allrounder Shakib al Hasan, who had done well to take 1-21 in four overs earlier with his left-arm spin, scored a 32-ball 38 but that was never going to be enough.

The winner of the last Group 2 game between Pakistan and the West Indies on Tuesday will now advance to the semifinals as both teams have two victories each from three games in the five-team league.

India have already ensured a semifinal berth from the group with three consecutive wins.

Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies