Sri Lanka crush England & Tharanga and Dilshan Tons easy enter in semis

Sri Lanka 231 for 0 (Dilshan 108*, Tharanga 102*) beat England 229 for 6 (Trott 86, Morgan 50) by ten wickets 

Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga set an emphatic seal on Sri Lanka's place in their home semi-final against New Zealand next Tuesday, as England's chaotic World Cup campaign came to an abrupt and anticlimactic end under the floodlights at the Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Set a testing total of 230 at a venue where successful run-chases have been notoriously thin on the ground, Sri Lanka's openers set about proving that history is bunk as they sauntered to victory by 10 wickets and with a massive 63 balls to spare. After five months on the road for England's cricketers, and six consecutive nail-biters in the group stages of the tournament, they found they had nothing left to give as the first round of knock-out matches was concluded with an utter walloping.

Though several higher scores have been made in this tournament to date, England's total of 229 for 6 ought to have competitive in the conditions. Only eight times in 49 internationals at the venue had a team batting second chased 230 or more for victory, and the most recent occasion came back in 2004. However, Dilshan and Tharanga battled through a tricky start with a flurry of aggression, before settling back into an effortlessly accumulative tempo. For the second time in the campaign, following on from their crushing of Zimbabwe in Pallekele, both men brought up centuries in a massive and indomitable stand.

Such was Sri Lanka's dominance that the match was able to finish in comically contrived scenes, as Dilshan - who had already reached his landmark with a savage cut for four off Graeme Swann - set about shepherding his partner to his own hundred. With seven runs still needed and Tharanga on 98, Dilshan accidentally carved Swann clean through the covers, and was grimacing his apologies before the ball had crossed the rope. Dilshan responded with two of the most exaggerated forward defences he has ever played, the first to a rank long-hop that even Swann was able to smile about, and with both men rendered virtually immobile with cramp, Tharanga finished the game three balls into Chris Tremlett's subsequent over, with a flat-footed swipe through the off-side.

The statistics told a sorry tale for England. All told they managed 12 fours in the whole of their 50 overs, two of which were scored by Jonathan Trott, whose 86 from 115 balls was his fifth half-century in seven innings, as he became the first batsman to pass 400 runs in the current tournament. Eoin Morgan provided some impetus with a 55-ball 50, but the batting Powerplay once again scuppered their momentum, as they were restricted to 23 runs and two key wickets in their five overs of fielding restrictions. Sri Lanka by contrast clobbered 22 fours and three sixes in less than 40 overs. The final result was every bit as resounding as it had been when these two teams last met in a World Cup quarter-final, at Faisalabad 15 years ago, a match that was lit up by Sanath Jayasuriya's epoch-defining 82 from 44 balls.

The nature of England's campaign meant that everyone, players and spectators alike, was waiting for the inevitable twist in the narrative, a fightback of the sort that the bowlers had produced against South Africa and West Indies earlier in the tournament - two other occasions in which the openers had proven hard to dislodge. However, it simply never materialised. All the same, they started promisingly enough. Tim Bresnan found good swing in a tidy first over, while Swann spun the ball sharply after being armed with the new ball. However, Tharanga quickly decided valour was the better part of discretion, and latched onto a modicum of width to crash his first four in Bresnan's second over, before using his feet expertly to deposit Swann back over his head for six.

Tremlett, retained in the team ahead of the experienced James Anderson, looked set to justify his place in a brilliant first over in which he beat Dilshan three balls in a row, including a massive nip-backer that shaved the leg bail on its way through to Prior. But his line and length became scrambled thereafter, and whereas England had managed just four boundaries in their first 25 overs, Dilshan cashed in with two in four balls, both crashed through the off side, as Sri Lanka reached 57 for 0 at the end of the first Powerplay.

The chances that England were able to create were too marginal to be capitalised upon. Early in his innings, Dilshan survived a miscued pull off Bresnan that looped over the head of short midwicket, while Ravi Bopara came within a whisker of bowling him in his first over, only for the ball to beat everyone and fizz away for four byes. The same fate awaited a beauty of a delivery from Swann, while James Tredwell, the hero of Chennai, was tidy but unthreatening in his first three overs, before Dilshan planted his front foot to drill him into the stands at long-off. Tremlett returned to create two half-chances as the ball was drilled hard back through his fingertips, but the game was as good as over long before then.

At the innings break, the scenario seemed to be very different. England looked nervous and leaden-footed against a Sri Lankan attack loaded with four front-line spinners, including the Man of the Match Dilshan, who took the new ball and scalped Andrew Strauss after a dreadful innings of 5 from 19 balls. But they endured and briefly, while Trott and Eoin Morgan were in harness, they thrived, adding 91 in 16 overs for the fourth wicket.

However, their ambitions of a formidable 240-plus total were scuppered by the dismissal of Morgan in the first over of the Powerplay. Until he drilled Lasith Malinga at deep cover for a 55-ball 50, he had lived a charmed life, with no fewer than four clear-cut chances going his way - three dropped catches, two of them extraordinarily easy, and an lbw appeal on 29 that would have proved stone-dead on review. His luck, however, ran out at an inopportune moment for England, and when Swann missed a switch hit to fall for a first-ball duck, England proved incapable of reaching the boundary while the field was up, with just 23 runs coming in the five overs of fielding restrictions, and 56 in the last 10 all told.

Trott's performance was that of a man who knew that if he batted through the innings, the runs would materialise somehow. He scored his first boundary from his 65th delivery, and eventually fell in pursuit of his third, as he swept Muttiah Muralitharan to deep backward square with nine balls of the innings remaining. Despite inevitable criticism of the tempo of his innings, his sang froid appeared to be well suited to the situation, as he backed himself to work the ones and twos in a boundary-less start to his innings, and at the same time he drew a gutsy response from Ravi Bopara, who was far less comfortable with the tempo, but knuckled down for 31 from 56 balls.

Murali, whose legendary career has now been extended by one more game at least, finished with 2 for 54 in nine overs before limping off with an apparent recurrence of his hamstring strain. However, that tally could have been higher but for an extraordinary sequence of events in his eighth over, when Morgan was dropped twice in consecutive deliveries. He had already survived one dolly of an opportunity on 16, when Thilan Samaraweera shelled a leading edge off Ajantha Mendis at point, but Murali couldn't contain his fury when, first, Angelo Mathews at extra cover fluffed a lofted drive, before Rangana Herath dived forward at point but failed to cling on.

If those moments were evidence that Sri Lanka were feeling the pressure of the big occasion, they were fleeting at best. The insolent ease of this performance means that New Zealand will arrive in Colombo with trepidation ahead of their sixth semi-final appearance in ten World Cups. They have never yet progressed beyond that stage, and four years ago in Jamaica, they were sent on their way by one of the best hundreds of Mahela Jayawardene's career. Today, however, Jayawardene's solitary contribution was a catch at deep square leg. Whereas England have been on their chinstraps all tournament long, Sri Lanka - it is clear -are a team with plenty still in reserve.

NewZeland (Kiwis) Enters semis by defeating South Africa

New Zealand 221 for 8 (Ryder 83, Taylor 43, Morkel 3-46) beat South Africa 172 (Oram 4-39) by 49 runs 

South Africa woes at the World Cup seems never ending, their humiliating loss today ensured they would have to live with the Chokers tag for another 4 years. They have made a habit of coming into the World Cup as favourites and then going back after losing from a winning position and it was no different today as they wasted an opportunity 

After the early loss of the openers, the Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor ensured there were no further setbacks for the New Zealanders with a healthy stand of over 100. The going was slow initially, but what was most important from the Kiwis' point of view was that they did not lose further wickets. The duo batted for 20 overs putting on 114 runs to take NZ to a good position at 130/2 in the 32nd over. 

The fall of Rossco, against the run of play, to the increasingly impressive Imran Tahir for 43 opened the floodgates for the Proteas. With a solid platform set by the right hand-left hand duo and New Zealand batting deep, SA's best chance to restrict the Kiwis was to pick up wickets as quickly as possible. The bowlers ensured just that for South Africa. From a solid 130/2, New Zealand had slumped to 156/5. From a position of strength in the 32nd over, NZ had slipped to damage control in the space of 36 balls. 

Earlier, South Africa had opened the bowling with left-arm spinner Robin Peterson and soon rewarded through the wicket of Brendon McCullum (4). His new ball partner, Dale Steyn dismissed the struggling Martin Guptill for one soon after. 

Ryder smashed six fours en route to completing his fifty with a single off Kallis. His well paced innings ended when Colin Ingram took a catch at deep mid-wicket off Morkel with more than 11 overs to go. 

Morkel took three late wickets to finish with three for 46 while Kane Williamson helped NZ end with a defendable total on the board with a fine innings of 38. The young right hander made the most of his good memories at the ground when he got to a hundred against Bangladesh. 

South Africa were setback early, chasing the sub par total in the very first over in bizarre fashion. Hashim Amla chopped a ball straight onto Brendon McCullum's boot and the ball popped up for Daniel Vettori to complete an easy catch. Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis consolidated the innings with a steady stand 61 and with the likes of AB de Villiers and the in-form JP Duminy to follow it looked like South Africa would canter to victory. 

Smith's wicket came against the run of play to give Jacob Oram his first wicket. Kallis nearing his fifty went for a pull that was brilliantly snapped up by Oram. Kallis' wicket turned out to be the moment that turned the match in South Africa's favour. 

Duminy departed after adding 13 with de Villiers while their main man and he departed run out thanks to a sharp piece of work by the Martin Guptill. Johan Botha and Robin Peterson were out in quick succession as whispers of SA and their famous act of choking started doing the rounds. 

Faf du Plessis was South Africa's last hope and he kept the Proteas in the hunt till he was out for 36 to hand SA the match. 

Oram ended the match with 4 wickets and 2 superb catches and was rightly named the Man of the match and for South Africa it was another horror ending at the World Cup. 

MOM:- Jacob Oram

Yuvraj Successful all round performance Put India to the semis.............

India 261 for 5 (Yuvraj 57*, Tendulkar 53, Gambhir 50) beat Australia 260 (Ponting 104, Haddin 53, Ashwin 2-52, Yuvraj 2-44) by 5 wickets 

An awe-inspiring Ricky Ponting dazzled and Sachin Tendulkar hit a delightful fifty but it was Yuvraj Singh who stole the show to lead India to an exciting semi-final encounter against Pakistan. On a dry pitch, aiding turn, India couldn't remove a wonderfully solid Ponting, but found a way around him to hold Australia to a competitive 260. Tendulkar set the base and the middle order threatened to choke, but Yuvraj played a blinder to charge India to a famous win.

Sometimes, they say, one four can change things around. That cliché came alive today, in the final ball of the 39th over, with India needing 72 from 67 deliveries, when Yuvraj spanked Shaun Tait for a stunning four over backward point. It oozed of skill, impishness and dare under fire. Until then, in the preceding few overs, India choked and spluttered badly to almost hand the game to Australia. That Yuvraj hit over point sensationally turned the game on its head. The next over proved to be the game-breaker as Brett Lee was looted for 14 runs: Suresh Raina played the most assured pull of his life to crash the first delivery to the boundary and Yuvraj carved the final delivery over point, but it was a shot in between that really reflected the enthralling contest. It was a screaming yorker from Lee, from around the stumps, and Yuvraj crouched, opened the bat-face and stabbed it through to the third man boundary. Lee looked stunned, and you felt that was the moment when India affected the jail break.

Until Yuvraj took ownership of the chase, the pressure-cooker situation had got to India and they were beginning to choke. In five mad overs between the 32nd and 37th, just after Virat Kohli had swiped a full toss from David Hussey straight to midwicket in the 29th over, it was absolute pandemonium as India looked hell bent on self-destruction. Gautam Gambhir tried to run himself out three times and was successful on the final attempt. In the 32nd over, he ran for a non-existent run after Yuvraj had played the ball towards midwicket but Ponting missed the sticks. In the next over, he got into a yes-and-no situation with Yuvraj and would have been run out had Brad Haddin, who dashed to the short mid-on region, thrown it at the non-striker's end. Gambhir was run out next ball, again running mindlessly after Yuvraj stabbed David Hussey wide of the first slip. India required 93 runs from 101 balls at that stage, but they slipped further into the abyss as MS Dhoni got out after looking edgy. He nearly got involved in a run out, had a big swing and a miss against Lee and perished next delivery, cutting to point to leave India needing 74 from 75 balls. It was then that Yuvraj decided to play the World Cup innings of his life.

Sachin Tendulkar threatened to take ownership of the chase with a delightful fifty, but Shaun Tait dismissed him in the 19th over to bring Australia back in the game in Motera. Australia hustled the Indians in the field, with spirited fielding and disciplined bowling, and cracked open the game by getting Tendulkar out. Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli ensured that Tendulkar's exit didn't spark a collapse by batting sensibly to push India to 123 for 2 by the half-way stage. The pitch was increasingly aiding big turn - a few times there was a visible puff of dust flying out of the rough - and much will depend not only on the Indian middle order but also on how the Australians, with just one regular spinner in Jason Krejza, exploit the track.

The first half was all about Australia v Tendulkar. It was yet another one of those modern Tendulkar knocks, where he unfurled several quality shots but none seemed risky. It was a slow pitch but Tendulkar played some shots that defied the nature of the track. He pulled, created room where none seemed to exist and jumped at every opportunity to drive. Australia never relented, though, and always continued to hustle. It was Shane Watson who first pegged back the run-rate by dismissing Virender Sehwag, and he reined in the batsmen further with his changes of pace, before Tait delivered the sucker punch by dismissing Tendulkar.

Tait v Tendulkar lived up to the billing. Tendulkar punched the first delivery he faced, and the first from Tait, through cover point. He upper cut the next legal delivery to the third man boundary. Tait sledged, Tendulkar stared, and the chase was soaked with intensity from then on. Tait was soon taken out off the attack but returned to silence the crowd. He gave away six runs in his first over on return that included two wides and also saw Tendulkar getting to his fifty. He struck with the first ball of his next over - a delivery released from a slightly round-armish action that held its line outside off stump. Tendulkar tried to steer it to point but edged it to Brad Haddin.

Until that moment, Tendulkar looked rock solid. He handled Brett Lee with respect, played Watson with caution and looted a few boundaries from Mitchell Johnson. Sehwag, who was relatively circumspect today, fell in the ninth over, top-edging a pull off Watson, and Tendulkar responded to that adversity by caressing a four through the covers in the same over. When Gautam Gambhir looked scratchy at the start, Tendulkar settled the nerves with a few fours. He scored successive boundaries off Johnson in the 12th over: a wristy on-drive to a full-length delivery outside off and a crunched drive through point. Australia kept coming at him at full tilt, and eventually Tait got him out to leave the game fascinatingly poised.

Afridi Storm helps Pakistan into semi-final

Pakistan 113 for 0 (K Akmal 47*, Hafeez 61*) beat West Indies 112 (Chanderpaul 44*, Afridi 4-30) by 10 wickets

Not many would have rated Pakistan as favourites to left the World Cup after the turmoil they went through prior to the tournament. Their preparation was marred with spot fixing allegations, captaincy issues and rumours of dressing room conflicts among many other. Pakistan aren't new to controversy, but the sheer magnitude about the number of things that could distract the team was enough for people to dismiss them as favourites. 

One man turned it all around for them, and continues to do so as they stormed into the semi finals - Shahid Afridi. The captain has been in unplayable form with the ball with 21 wickets at the World Cup already(6 better than second placed Zaheer Khan). His stunning bowling was on display again today, against the West Indies when he rocked the middle order to send them crashing to a paltry 112 - their 3rd lowest total in World Cup history. Afridi also became the highest wicket taker for Pakistan at a single World Cup, eclipsing Imran Khan's record. The Pak skipper is also joint 6th highest in the list of most wickets in a single World Cup, and considering his current form it looks like Glenn McGrath's record of 26 wickets in the 2007 WC is in danger. 

Mohd. Hafeez and Umar Gul produced dream opening spells accounting for the top 3 wickets and restricting the West Indies to only 18/3 after the first powerplay. Afridi brought himself on in the 17th over with Wahab Riaz looking ineffective and Mohd Hafeez close to finishing his spell. 

Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul had, like so many times in the past for their troubled team, stuck together and stemmed the rot. The going was, by no means, easy for the duo as Pakistan, uncharacteristically, fielded brilliantly to keep a tight lid on the scoring. 

At one stage, the duo had added 18 runs off the bat in 75 balls as West Indies found it impossible to get the runs ticking over. Afridi's introduction only made things tougher for the Calypso Kings, and the Pakistan skipper soon had Sarwan out caught by Umar Akmal for 25. 

There was a lot more firepower in the West Indies line up but Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy weren't exactly tailor made to scratch around for singles and consolidate the innings. Maybe they should've opted to take the attack to the opposition as both the big hitters fell in consecutive overs trying to play cautiously- Pollard to Afridi and Sammy to Ajmal. 

With the side reeling at 71/8, Chanderpaul would've been left feeling a sense of deja vu as West Indies suffered a similar collapse against Kenya in 1996 en route to being skittled out for 93. They did fare a little better this time around thanks to the efforts of Kemar Roach and Chanderpaul, who added 40 runs together and kept the Pak bowlers at bay for nearly 15 overs. 

With the scoreboard not ticking along, it was only a matter of time before the stand was broken and it came through Abdul Razzaq who had Kemar Roach caught by Younis Khan for 16 (the third highest score of the WI innings). Afridi needed just 3 balls to send the West Indian innings packing as he bowled last man, Ravi Rampaul for a duck as WI folded for a poor 112. 

Sammy was spot on in the post match presentation, saying his team were woeful with the bat, "Not enough runs on board, that wasn't the total we were looking for when we started the game. We have been losing wickets in clusters throughout the tournament, particularly against the spinners." 

Pakistan's only worry so far in the World Cup has been their opening pair. They have tried different combinations with Ahmed Shehzad, Hafeez and Kamran Akmal but none have managed to click. The openers however found the right time to get into form chasing the total of 112 as they romped home with all 10 wickets intact and close to 30 overs to spare. 

The West Indian defense would have depended a lot on Kemar Roach to produce the kind of spell he did against the Netherlands earlier in the World Cup, but the Pakistan openers ensured there were no such setbacks opting to attack the new ball pair of Roach and Rampaul. The move paid rich dividends as Pakistan raced along at close to 10 runs per over and all hopes of a West Indian fightback were quickly disappearing. 

Once the platform for the victory was in place (if the bowling hadn't provided it already) the batsmen chose to take a much safer route and get their team home. Hafeez was the more aggressive, smashing 10 fours in his 64 ball 61 while Kamran Akmal was not too far away smashing a few superb boundaries on his way to 47. It proved to be a canter at the end for Pakistan as they made became the first team in the semis in sensational fashion. 

Afridi, who had before the World Cup promised to take his side to the semis, was ecstatic with the performance, "This has been a great performance, it is the best gift that I can give to the fans back home and to those who have travelled all the way. Each game, we make plans against the opposition and we stuck to our plans like always. The openers played really well today and took us home." 

Have a Look Video For Afridi Wickets

Pakistan going to include Ajmal for Quarter Final

Pakistan's resolve to not change a winning XI will undergo a stiff test ahead of the quarter-final against West Indies in Dhaka on Wednesday. Pakistan, who won five out of six games to top Group A, were fairly settled - by their standards - through that run. Only after five failures did they tweak the opening combination and injuries apart, Shoaib Akhtarrepresents the only other unforced change in personnel.

But with the possibility of as many as four left-handers in the West Indies top five - if Shivnarine Chanderpaul returns to shore up a middle order prone to collapse - Pakistan will consider the option of using Saeed Ajmal to off-set that.

The decision will not be an easy one. If Ajmal does play, he is likely to do so in place of Abdur Rehman. The left-arm spinner has played a quiet but significant role in Pakistan's campaign so far, opening the bowling in two of their last three games; though he has only three wickets in five games, he has been crucial in stifling opposition run-rates. Additionally, Pakistan feel safer in the knowledge that Rehman is useful - no more - with the bat and a capable, energetic fielder.

Afridi, as he has done all along, spoke of the need to not change the XI that beat Australia. "I'm very happy with my winning combination at this stage," he said. "You can't make changes if you can help it for a game like this. We have an offspinner in Mohammad Hafeez so let's see. We'll decide this evening once we've seen the conditions and the pitch."

Privately, however, the team management has acknowledged that Ajmal is under consideration, though the decision will be taken after a team meeting on Tuesday evening. Ajmal has been a peripheral figure so far in Pakistan's campaign, playing only in the game against Canada in which Rehman sat out with a leg injury. He bowled well enough in the game, picking up a wicket, though not perhaps well enough to change a situation which has seen him gradually lose the top spinner's slot over the last six months or so.

Several sides have used off-spin to open against the West Indies top order through the tournament and with success. Chris Gayle, who is likely to be back tomorrow, fell to Johan Botha in the first over of the game against the West Indies. England used Graeme Swann in the game at Chennai and though he didn't strike early, the success he eventually had, along with James Tredwell, in the game makes the case for Ajmal stronger. R Ashwin opened for India in the last game the West Indies played and he struck early as well.

Whatever the line-up ultimately - and that would be the only likely change - Pakistan will go into the game with some confidence after the streak-breaking win against Australia in Colombo. The team arrived in Dhaka early Monday evening and had their first and only practice session at the Shere Bangla Stadium before the game, on Tuesday.

"To win a game against a side like Australia before the quarter-final is a big achievement," Afridi said. "The dressing-room atmosphere is very positive and very good. It was a great win. We really worked hard before this tournament and I don't think in my 14-year career we've ever worked as hard. Definitely, the expectation is greater now. We are feeling more confident."

Even though the West Indies lost their last two group games and haven't beaten a top side in an ODI since June 2009, Afridi was aware of the threat some of the relatively newer faces may pose. "These young guys are doing a great job. They have performed well, their bowling is good and that is why they are in the quarter-final. They have a very good unit, so we're not taking any team lightly especially at this stage."

A win on Wednesday would lead to a first World Cup semi-final since 1999, but the fifth straight ICC event - including the World Twenty20 - in which they've made the last four. "Before this World Cup I said I see my team in the semi-final and I want to see them there. My team is capable of doing that."

'Struggling Aussies' World Cup prospects bleak: Roebuck

Sydney: Noted cricket columnist Peter Roebuck reckons that Australia's prospects at the World Cup are bleak after the Ricky Ponting-led team finished third in its qualifying group.

Ponting's men were defeated by Pakistan in their last game in Colombo, which also snapped the defending champions' 34-game unbeaten run in World Cup.

"A victory over New Zealand was balanced by defeat at the hands of a purposeful Pakistani outfit, while the match against Sri Lanka was ruined by rain after the hosts had built a solid position," Roebuck said in his syndicated column for the Sydney Morning Herald.

"Yet it was the two poor performances against the associate sides - Kenya and Canada - that might prove most costly because they affected run rate and so denied the team second place on the list," he added.

"Throughout, the batting lacked authority and no strong partnerships were formed. Shane Watson lost his wicket to a poorly executed drive and Michael Clarke tried to pull a ball that clipped a bail. Certainly the bounce was sluggish and uneven, but that did not excuse an inept display," Roebuck said.

"Among the flingers, only Lee looked lively, and he did not swing the ball as much as expected. Rather, he took wickets with persistence and pace, preying on the batsmen's nerves, forcing them into error," he added.

He was also critical about Ponting's troubled batting campaign and his captaincy.

"His batting is in decline and he seems powerless to turn it around. He has scored 435 runs this season at an average of 27 and 289 ODI runs in 12 innings. At Premadasa, his only pull shot flew over the keeper's head, his solitary sweep could have been caught at square leg and his only other cross-bat stroke ended up in the keeper's gloves," Roebuck said.

"His captaincy, likewise, lacked conviction. That Lee, his best bowler, did not complete his allocation was a palpable error. Far from throwing him the ball at the critical hour, Ponting waited till it was too late. His field placements were unduly defensive, except for Tait, who does not rely on close catchers. Not for the first time, Ponting's reluctance to place slips proved costly as Watson was twice snicked."

"Ponting's lack of faith in his leg-spinner was obvious. Steve Smith has hardly turned over his arm in the last two matches," he added.

Australia faces India in the quarterfinal clash in Ahmedabad after the co-hosts clinched second spot in Group B with a win over West Indies.

Yuvraj Stars all round performance as India Finish Second

India 268 (Yuvraj 113, Kohli 59, Rampaul 5-51) beat West Indies 188 (Smith 81, Sarwan 39, Zaheer 3-26) by 60 runs

Oh West Indies, they have done it again. For the second match in a row now, they had a chase all wrapped up, but in the face of some desperate inspiration from Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh, and some mindless cricket from the batsmen that followed Devon Smith, it was made sure that West Indies remained without a win over a Test side other than Bangladesh since June 2009. With Smith playing as well as he has ever played, West Indies almost mocked India for the first 27 overs, getting up to 146 for 2 without a care in the world. Then came a maiden by Harbhajan and a wicked Zaheer slower ball to remove Smith, and West Indies lost the last eight wickets for 34.

That collapse outdid India's own one of 7 for 50, which had threatened to undo Yuvraj Singh's century on a track whose bounce West Indies and Ravi Rampaul exploited, but not to the fullest. The hero of West Indies' last win against a major side, Rampaul took his first five-for in ODIs, on his World Cup debut, to hurt the start, the middle and the end of the Indian innings. However, West Indies' insistence on opening the bowling with Sulieman Benn despite the helpful track, and the obvious plan of trying to bounce India out, meant they couldn't capitalise on a first over that claimed Sachin Tendulkar. Then there was Yuvraj, with his maiden World Cup century, fighting dehydration, vomiting on the field, and then coming back to take two wickets.

The game might have ended in a whimper, but it began explosively. Like they successfully did in the last two World Twenty20s, West Indies came out with bouncers for India. Inside the first 11 overs, two deliveries bounced over the keeper's head for byes, two batsmen got out to deliveries dug in short, one was dropped off another short delivery, but Benn went for 21 off his three overs to ease the pressure. To make matters worse Darren Sammy dropped Yuvraj twice, chances not easy but not impossible, at 9 and 11.

Working with Yuvraj was Virat Kohli, for whom it almost a homecoming to bat at No. 3 in the absence of the injured Virender Sehwag. In familiar environs of not being expected to go at a strike-rate of 150, Kohli did just what was required on a tough pitch after a tough start, scoring 59 off 76, letting Yuvraj take majority of the strike in a partnership of 122 from 51 for 2.

Even after Yuvraj was reprieved twice, the bouncers still kept coming, the odd ball still misbehaved - especially for the left-hand batsman, he got dehydrated and barfed, but nothing seemed to be able to stop the Yuvraj specials in between, shots that kept the scoring rate up in the middle overs. Kohli was smart too: he had played 21 deliveries when Yuvraj came to join him, but so good was the strike manipulation that Yuvraj had played 12 more deliveries than him by the time their partnership ended.

During the partnership, Yuvraj pulled over midwicket, cover-drove for fours along the ground, swept the legspin of Devendra Bishoo, and on-drove Sammy over long-on for a majestic six. It was one of those days when Yuvraj was feeling it, one of those days when he plays one level above the game around him. His mates, though, managed to engineer another collapse from 218 for 3 in the 42nd over.

Buoyed by that good finish with the ball, West Indies came out positive. Like Rampaul stood up in an unwell Kemar Roach's absence, Smith did in the injured Chris Gayle's. He cut furiously - almost every bowler got the taste of his trademark cut, he picked singles straight to infielders, doubles straight to those in the deep. However, R Ashwin, who got his World Cup debut at long last, was difficult to hit with the new ball. He used his trademark carrom ball to remove the potentially explosive Kirk Edwards.

Still Smith and Darren Bravo first, and Smith and Ramnaresh Sarwan kept knocking off the runs calmly. The running between the wickets, and then the odd boundary to break a string of dots, remained a feature. The panic and rush that characterised their effort against England was conspicuous in its absence. With Smith scoring at will, and West Indies needing just 123 in the last 23 overs, only West Indies stood in the way of West Indies.

Turned out they needed a bit of help from India to kickstart the collapse. It came through a maiden from Harbhajan, who came back remarkably after an uninspiring spell of four overs for 23 with the new ball. Harbhajan and Munaf Patel put together a spell of 19 balls for just eight runs before Zaheer was called upon to provide the explanation mark.

And how he did, with his new knuckle slower ball, where the middle finger doesn't hold the ball tightly, thus taking the pace off without giving any indication to those who are watching from the front. With that slower ball, he removed Smith's off stump. Smith, who had hardly put a foot wrong in his 81 until then. After that, the procession began. Kieron Pollard holed out to long-on at the first sight of pressure, Sammy was sold down the river by Sarwan, Devon Thomas and Andre Russell fell to the wiles of Yuvraj, and it was all over.

The way West Indies and India collapsed, conspiracy theorists will waste no time in theorising that both teams wanted to avoid Australia in the quarter-final. As it turned out, West Indies now finish fourth in Group B, thus getting Group A leaders Pakistan in Dhaka. And India, well they renew hostilities with Australia in Ahmedabad.

Pakistan win over Australia finishes First in A group

Pakistan 178 for 6 (Shafiq 46, Umar 44*, Lee 4-28) beat Australia 176 (Haddin 42, Gul 3-30)

Pakistan were the last team to overcome Australia at a World Cup and it was they who brought Ricky Ponting's 34-match unbeaten run to an end with a four-wicket victory in Colombo to secure top spot in Group A. An impressive display in the field laid the foundations as the reigning champions were bundled out for 176 on a difficult surface, their lowest total in a World Cup since 1992, and despite a mighty effort from Brett Lee Pakistan were guided home by Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq.

Despite not having either team's progression at stake, the final group positions determine quarter-final opposition while momentum is also a factor. Both teams were hyped for the contest, and it came to an early head when Umar and Brad Haddin almost came to blows in the field. Australia were desperate not to relinquish a proud record dating back to May 23, 1999.

After their batting subsided with 20 balls unused, Australia's only chance was to bowl Pakistan out, but in the event it required Lee himself to do most of the damage. He removed both openers in a fiery new-ball burst before returning to claim Younis Khan and Misbah-ul-Haq with consecutive deliveries in 23rd over, leaving Pakistan wobbling on 98 for 4.

However, support for Lee was too late in coming which didn't leave enough runs for Australia to play with. Mitchell Johnson had Asad Shafiq taken at slip off the glove for a composed 46 and Shahid Afridi brainlessly carved to long-on against Jason Krejza. Surprisingly, Lee wasn't immediately recalled with 34 runs still needed and by the time he came back the target was down to 10. Umar played one of his most composed innings yet, and Razzaq finished the chase with consecutive boundaries.

Lee could easily have removed Kamran Akmal in the first over of Pakistan's reply, while in his second over he squared up Mohammad Hafeez and made good ground to take the return catch. With attacking fields set by Ricky Ponting, further boundaries were notched up by Kamran and Shafiq, who had to battle some pain after twisting his ankle, but Lee kept his side in the match singlehandedly.

After being carved over the covers he thundered a rapid delivery into Kamran's pads and this time he was given out by Marais Erasmus with the review unable to save him. However, Ponting knew he had to save some of Lee for later and his spell ended after five overs which released the pressure on Pakistan.

Shafiq, who showed his composure against Zimbabwe in his first World Cup outing, played another mature hand knowing that the required rate was always in hand. Both he and Younis had a few nervous moments - with the pair edging through a vacant slip cordon - but together they took the requirement below 100. Eventually, though, Younis flashed once too often outside off and gave a simple catch to Brad Haddin, and from the very next ball, the match was back in the balance when Misbah, the other half of Pakistan's experienced middle order, hung his bat out at a Lee outswinger.

Umar wasn't going to fiddle his way towards the target and drilled his fifth ball through the covers, but to his immense credit he throttled back to play a very mature hand. He picked the right moments to attack, including a six off Krejza, and didn't panic after Lee's rapid inroads. It helped that he had the experience of Razzaq at the end to see them across the line.

Australia have been saying how they wanted a test after easing through most of the group stage but the batting wasn't up to it on a difficult surface that offered spin and a touch of uneven bounce. Two batsmen desperate for a substantial innings, Ponting (19) and Cameron White (8), both struggled leaving the lower order exposed to an attack that had all the bases covered on a surface offering spin and reverse swing.

Pakistan had an early scare when Gul pulled up at the start of his second over with a knee problem and needed attention from the physio. Whatever treatment was provided worked wonders because he produced a lovely nip-backer to beat Shane Watson's ambitious drive. Ponting has been scratchy during the tournament and was again unconvincing with his first boundary came from a fortunate top-edge after he was comprehensively beaten by a Wahab Riaz bouncer.

Not for the first time spin brought his downfall when he tried to cut Hafeez, who produced a superb 10-over spell for 26, and got a thick edge that Kamran did well to take in the webbing of his right glove. However, it was originally given not out and the DRS was needed to overturn the decision in Pakistan's favour. Meanwhile, as the players waited for the TV umpire, there was an altercation between Haddin and the Pakistanis.

Haddin has been consistent during the tournament without reaching the three-figure score the top order needs and he couldn't convert here when he pushed at a delivery from Wahab Riaz. Misbah missed an opportunity to run out Michael Clarke but made no mistake when his next chance came around when his throw to Kamran found White short after a laboured stay.

In Clarke and Michael Hussey, Australia had two of their in-form players together but even they found scoring tough as Afridi mixed up his bowling options. Razzaq was held back until the 35th over and made an immediate impression when Clarke missed an ugly heave against a well-disguised off-cutter which trimmed the off bail.

Hussey couldn't perform a rescue-act, either, when he chipped a simple catch to midwicket and the innings was coming off the rails as Razzaq produced a nippy delivery to find Johnson's outside edge. It left the tail to cope with Gul and Afridi which proved too much, but Australia weren't many short of a matchwinning total. The quarters and semi-final will be fascinating viewing if the pitches are anything like this surface.