India vs West Indies Semifinal: Simmons (83*), Russell (52) power Windies to final
Andre Russell also played a cameo of 43 runs from just 20 balls.
Mumbai: In a dramatic turnaround the West Indies men and women will be playing their World T20 final at Eden Gardens. Lendl Simmons (82*) and Johnson Charles (52) powered the Caribbbean boys to the final of magnum opus after defeating India by 7 wickets here on Thursday.
West Indies are in the #WT20 Final! They've defeated India by 7 wickets in an absolute thriller in Mumbai! What a game! - Windies Cricket Indian Cricket Team
Posted by ICC - International Cricket Council on Thursday, March 31, 2016
WI 196-3 (19.4 overs)
19th over: WI 185-3 (Simmons 82, Russell 33)
Russell eases it off! Russell has smashed 12 runs from the Jadeja over.
18th over: WI 171-3 (Simmons 81, Russell 22)
Simmons getting too many lives! In another dramatic turnaround, Simmons got yet another life after Virat Kohli was unable to hold on to a very tough catch on the boundary line.
17th over: WI 161-3 (Simmons 69, Russell 22)
India not getting it right! Indian bowlers are bowling length ball after length ball. Simmons and Russell head strong.
16th over: WI 151-3 (Simmons 67, Russell 14)
Windies running away! Lendl Simmons is taking the game away from Team India. The pitch is not helping the bowlers.
15th over: WI 138-3 (Simmons 56, Russell 12)
Russell goes crazy! Andre Russell has come out with only one intention and that is to go after every ball. Hardik Pandya has a no ball that saw Simmons get back after getting out.
14th over: WI 120-3 (Simmons 50, Andre Russell 1)
Kohli works his magic with the ball! Finally it was Virat Kohli who could break the partnership. Johnson Charles departed after scoring 52 runs.
13th over: WI 116-2 (Charles 52, Simmons 47)
Is India losing it? Simmons and Charles are almost taking the game away from India as Dhoni's strike bowlers are going for runs.
12th over: WI 104-2 (Charles 50, Simmons 37)
Fifty for Charles! Charles and Simmons have thrown the pressure back at India. Nervous faces in the crowd.
11th over: WI 97-2 (Charles 46, Simmons 35)
Simmons terrorises India! Lendl Simmons is just smashing it out in the middle. The ball is not turning on a flat wicket. Jadeja's over going for 13 runs.
10th over: WI 84-2 (Charles 45, Simmons 23)
Charles smashes it! Johnson Charles and Lendl Simmons' partnership is creating major problems for Team India. Crowd has been silenced for a while now.
9th over: WI 72-2 (Charles 34, Simmons 23)
Ashwin hammered! 13 runs came in this Ashwin over as Lendl Simmons and Johnson Charles have put up a 50 plus-run partnership.
8th over: WI 59-2 (Charles 23, Simmons 21)
Pandya troubles West Indies! Hardik Pandya is mixing it up really well as West Indies are finding it hard to get the right shot.
7th over: WI 51-2 (Charles 17, Simmons 19)
Bad luck India! Ravichandran Ashwin, introduced into the attack took Simmons' wicket but he overstepped.
6th over: WI 44-2 (Charles 16, Simmons 14)
Jadeja into the attack! Ravindra Jadeja was unable to find a wicket in his first over going for 11 runs.
5th over: WI 33-2 (Charles 15, Simmons 4)
Nehra on target! Nehra is bowling tight lines as West Indies batsmen are feeling the heat in the middle.
4th over: WI 28-2 (Charles 14, Simmons 0)
Bumrah makes good comeback! After going for consecutive boundaries, Bumrah gave away just 9 runs from his second over.
3rd over: WI 19-2 (Charles 5)
Nehra strikes! After Bumrah, Ashish Nehra claimed his first wicket with a beautifully crafted slower delivery. Samuels fell prey to it and departed for 8 runs.
2nd over: WI 14-1 (Charles 1, Marlon Samuels 8)
Big Gayle gone! MS Dhoni's decision to hand over the ball to Jasprit Bumrah worked as the youngster sent the big Chris Gayle back in the first ball itself. Gayle departed after scoring 5 runs.
1st over: WI 6-0 (Chris Gayle 5, Johnson Charles 1)
Nehra on target! Ashish Nehra created problems for Chris Gayle but not before the big Jamaican smashed the first boundary of the West Indies innings.
Mumbai: Virat Kohli's unbeaten 47-ball 89 runs has powered India to a massive 192-2, here in the second semifinal against West Indies on Thursday.
IND 192-2 (20 overs)
20th over: IND 192-2 (Kohli 89, Dhoni 15)
Too good Kohli! A good last over from Bravo gave away just 12 runs but it was Virat Kohli's unbeaten 89 that took India to 192-2
19th over: IND 180-2 (Kohli 81, Dhoni 11)
Russell taken to the cleaners! Andre Russell made a meal of the 19th over as Kohli hammered him for a huge six and two boundaries.
18th over: IND 161-2 (Kohli 63, Dhoni 10)
Bravo right on the money! Dwayne Bravo maybe considered as the best bowler in the business end of an innings with no Lasith Malinga or Mitchell Starc in the tournament.
17th over: IND 150-2 (Kohli 54, Dhoni 8)
Take a bow Kohli! Virat Kohli registered yet another half-century in the tournament, this one coming in just 33 balls.
16th over: IND 133-2 (Kohli 44, MS Dhoni 1)
Rahane departs! After playing a gem of an innings giving good support to both Rohit and Kohli, Rahane walked back after scoring 40 runs. Andre Russell claimed his first wicket.
15th over: IND 127-1 (Rahane 40, Kohli 40)
Brathwaite throws his weight around! Barring the boundary Kohli scored, which was unbelievable, Brathwaite gave away just 7 runs.
14th over: IND 120-1 (Rahane 39, Kohli 34)
Kohli, Rahane set! Kohli and Rahane are set in the middle to unleash some big shots as India enter last six over.
13th over: IND 109-1 (Rahane 36, Kohli 26)
India needs to step up! Kohli and Rahane are searching for the big hits but Bravo is just not giving away any loose delivery.
12th over: IND 98-1 (Rahane 35, Kohli 16)
Good Benn! Sulieman Benn has bowled a fine over giving away just 7 runs as bot Rahane and Kohli are looking to shift gears.
11th over: IND 91-1 (Rahane 31, Kohli 14)
Kohli pushes it! Virat Kohli and Rahane are not letting any ball go without runs.
10th over: IND 86-1 (Rahane 29, Kohli 10)
Rahane fires! Rahane begins to join the party clobbering the ball for a superb boundary.
9th over: IND 76-1 (Rahane 21, Kohli 9)
Bravo creating problems! There was absolute chaos in this over. Kohli surviving twice from being run-out.
8th over: IND 66-1 (Rahane 20, Virat Kohli 1)
Badree strikes! Samuel Badree struck for West Indies after Rohit found himself trapped lbw. The Indian opener departed after scoring 43 runs.
7th over: IND 62-0 (Rohit 43, Rahane 17)
Rahane doing it well! Rohit Sharma has gone berserk while Rahane is doing the right thing rotating the strike.
6th over: IND 55-0 (Rohit 41, Rahane 12)
Raining sixes! Andre Russell bowled it too high and Rohit smashed it for the biggest six in the tournament. To make matters worse it was a no ball and Rohit hammered another six in the next ball.
5th over: IND 35-0 (Rohit 23, Rahane 11)
India on track! Rahane too has accelerated his scoring and India now off to a good start with all their wickets in hand.
4th over: IND 26-0 (Rohit 21, Rahane 4)
Rohit attacks! Rohit Sharma has registered his highest score now in the tournament with 21*. Benn's first over went for 11 runs.
3rd over: IND 15-0 (Rohit 10, Rahane 4)
Rohit smashes it! Rohit Sharma unleashed the first six of the Indian innings. 9 runs from the third over.
2nd over: IND 6-0 (Rohit 2, Rahane 3)
Spin introduced! West Indies have introduced spin early on. Samuel Badree was on the money giving away just four runs in the over.
1st over: IND 2-0 (Rohit Sharma 1, Ajinkya Rahane 1)
Rohit looks rusty! Rohit Sharma will have to adjust to his new partner Ajinkya Rahane quickly. Andre Russell was on target for the West Indies.
Shikhar Dhawan has been dropped from the side and Ajinkya Rahane replaces him. Manish Pandey also enters the playing XI for injured Yuvraj Singh.
Here is the #IND team to face #WI in the 2nd #WT20 Semi-Final
— ICC (@ICC) March 31, 2016
LIVE: https://t.co/3WCHLIYDks #INDvWI #WT20 pic.twitter.com/bPWsxCj1t6
IND XI: RG Sharma, A Rahane, V Kohli, S Raina, M Pandey, MS Dhoni, H Pandya, R Jadeja, R Ashwin, A Nehra, J Bumrah
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 31, 2016
Chris Gayle and Lendl Simmons are in the XI, for Evin Lewis and the injured Andre Fletcher, who had a hamstring problem against Afghanistan.
The #WI team to play #IND for a chance to play #ENG in the Final.
— ICC (@ICC) March 31, 2016
LIVE: https://t.co/3WCHLIYDks #INDvWI #WT20 pic.twitter.com/k8XPHcEiaN
Darren Sammy wins toss and West Indies elect to field.
Mumbai: The stage is set, the floodlights on as favourites India look to join England in the finals of the ICC World T20. But first Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Co have to overcome a steady West Indies side in the second semifinal here on Thursday. Darren Sammy has won the toss and West Indies have elected to field.
Read: Virat Kohli’s family not to attend semifinal
After a shocking loss to New Zealand in the Super 10 tournament opener in Nagpur, India bounced back with three under-pressure victories.
#WT20: Here's how the pitch is looking for the 2nd semi-final between #Ind and #WI pic.twitter.com/0rs5dftsiD
— BCCI (@BCCI) March 31, 2016
Watch: Virat Kohli never accepts he is out: Harbhajan
Virat Kohli is the leading scorer in the Super 10 stage with 184 runs from four matches.
#WT20: #TeamIndia's Suresh Raina enters the Wankhede ground ahead of the Semi-final 2
Posted by Indian Cricket Team on Thursday, March 31, 2016
The batting mainstay has been in immaculate form with unbeaten knocks both against Australia (82*) and Pakistan (55*) that turned out to be the vital cog in the wheel for an Indian win.
INTERVIEW: Manish Pandey believes he is in good batting space and is ready to deliver when opportunity strikes #WT20 http://www.bcci.tv/videos/id/2155/icc-wt20-2016-manish-pandey-interview
Posted by Indian Cricket Team on Thursday, March 31, 2016
However, India suffered a huge blow losing all-rounder Yuvraj Singh through an ankle injury in Mohali. Manish Pandey has been brought in as cover for the semifinal between the two former champions.
Just for laughs - When Ashwin Ravi spoke Punjabi and Harbhajan Singh tried Tamil. Full video soon #IND
Posted by Indian Cricket Team on Wednesday, March 30, 2016
Another cause of concern would be the two Indian openers —Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan, who haven’t managed to fire in the tournament. Team India will have to bat with Kohli if there to see themselves through to the summit clash against England, who thrashed unbeaten favourites New Zealand on Wednesday by a whopping seven wickets.
Watch: India vs West Indies: Gayle trolled badly in Mauka spoof
Table-toppers from Group 1 West Indies on the other side put their problems at home aside to emerge as the underdogs of the magnum opus. Skipper Darren Sammy wants his team to stay focused on its preparations instead of getting worried about Kohli’s ominous batting form.
Chris Gayle’s 47-ball century against England set the West Indies’ momentum in the tournament before Afghanistan broke the three-match winning sequence of Sammy’s team with a stunning six-run win at Nagpur.
Also Read: India vs West Indies: Bring it on Chris Gayle, says Ravi Shastri
The Caribbean boys too have suffered injury issues. West Indies has also called up Lendl Simmons after Andre Fletcher was ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
Team India are hot favourites and step foot on Wankhede pitch with full confidence while Windies are a bunch of excited players, who on the day can spoil the party for Indians.