Dhoni-led India knock Australia out

India made just one change to their playing eleven – Dinesh Karthik made way for Yuvraj Singh, the player of the match.

On winning the toss, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s skipper, chose to bat.

At the end of the restricted overs (i.e., the first six overs), India had scored 36 for the loss of a wicket. While Robin Uthappa was batting on five, Gautam Gambhir was batting on 21.

Virender Sehwag, whose 13-ball innings included a boundary, scored nine. Thirty-two balls later, he was caught by Adam Gilchrist. Mitchell Johnson broke the 30-run stand.

Gambhir, whose 25-ball innings included four boundaries, eventually scored 24. Sixteen balls later, he was caught by Brad Hodge. Johnson broke the 11-run stand.

India scored 50 off 9.2 overs (56 balls). Australia had conceded an extra at that point.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 29 balls. While Uthappa’s contribution to the partnership was 15, Yuvraj’s contribution to it was 34. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a run.

India scored 100 off 13.3 overs (82 balls). Australia had conceded three extras at that point.

Yuvraj’s half-century – which included three boundaries and four sixes – came off 20 balls.

The third-wicket pair put on 84. Uthappa, whose 28-ball innings included a boundary and three sixes, eventually scored 34. Thirty-nine balls after Gambhir’s dismissal, Andrew Symonds ran him out.

India scored 150 off 17.2 overs (105 balls). Australia had conceded three extras at that point.

Yuvraj, whose 30-ball innings included five boundaries and as many sixes, eventually scored 70. Twenty-four balls after Uthappa’s dismissal, he was caught by Michael Hussey. Michael Clarke broke the 30-run stand.

The fifth-wicket pair put on 29. Dhoni, whose 18-ball innings included four boundaries and a six, scored 36. Fourteen balls later, Gilchrist ran him out.

Rohit Sharma, whose five-ball innings included a six, scored eight. He was unbeaten, as was Irfan Pathan, who faced a ball, failing to get off the mark.

The number of extras they eventually conceded gave Australia no reason to be in seventh heaven. India scored 188 for the loss of five wickets off 20 overs.

Symonds, who bowled three wicketless overs, conceded 37. Nathan Bracken and Stuart Clark bowled four wicketless overs each, conceding 38 apiece. Brett Lee, who bowled four wicketless overs conceded 25.

Clarke, who bowled an over, conceded 13. He picked up a wicket. Johnson, who bowled four overs, conceded 31. He picked up a couple of scalps.

At the end of the restricted overs (i.e., the first six overs), Australia had scored 37 for the loss of a wicket. While Matthew Hayden was unbea‘ten’, Hodge was batting on a run.

Gilchrist, whose 13-ball innings included a couple of boundaries and as many sixes, scored 22. (Sreesan)Thirty-one balls later, the Kerala pacer broke the 36-run stand.

Australia scored 50 off 7.2 overs (45 balls). India had conceded four extras at that point.

Hodge, whose 10-ball innings included a six, scored 11. Twenty-one balls later, he was caught by Joginder Sharma. Pathan who broke the 32-run stand.

Australia scored 100 off 12 overs (74 balls). India had conceded five extras at that point.

Hayden’s half-century – which included four boundaries and three sixes – came off 40 balls.

The third-wicket pair put on 50 off 27 balls. While Hayden’s contribution to the partnership was 31, Symonds’ contribution to it was 20. Extras’ contribution to the partnership was a run.

Hayden, whose 47-ball innings included the aforementioned number of boundaries and as many sixes, eventually scored 62. Thirty-six balls after Hodge’s dismissal, Sreesanth broke the 66-run partnership.

Australia scored 150 off 16.2 overs (102 balls). The number of extras they had conceded at that point gave India no reason to be in seventh heaven.

Symonds, whose 26-ball innings included three boundaries and a couple of sixes, eventually scored 43. A dozen balls after Hayden’s dismissal, Pathan broke the 22-run stand.

Clarke, who faced three balls, scored as many. Three balls later, Harbhajan Singh broke the run-a-ball stand.

Hussey, whose 12-ball innings included a six, scored 13. Fourteen balls later, he was caught by Yuvraj. Joginder Sharma broke the eight-run stand.

Brad Haddin, who faced eight balls, scored five. He was unbeaten.

Lee, who faced a couple of balls, scored as many. A couple of balls later, Sharma broke the two-run stand.

Johnson, who scored a boundary off the only ball he faced, was unbeaten.

India eventually conceded eight extras. Australia, who scored 173 for the loss of seven wickets off 20 overs, lost by 15 runs. Sehwag, who bowled an over, conceded 10. He was wicketless, as was Rudra Pratap Singh, who bowled four overs, conceded 33.

Harbhajan, who bowled four overs, conceded 24. He picked up a wicket. Joginder, who bowled three overs, conceded 37. He picked up a couple of scalps, as were Pathan and Sreesanth, who bowled four overs apiece. While the former conceded 44, the latter, whose spell included a maiden, conceded 12.

India advanced.