M A I N   N E W S

Yuvraj fashions India’s win

NAIROBI, Oct 7 (UNI) — A resurgent India with a display of stunning aggression and tremendous will-power humbled tournament favourites World Cup champions Australia by 20 runs to enter the semifinals of the $ 1million ICC Knockout Trophy at the Nairobi Gymkhana Club grounds here today.

After setting the Australians a 266-run victory target, the Indians squeezed their opponents out of the match, ending the Australian innings at 245 in the 47th over.

Nineteen-year-old left-hander Yuvraj Singh was the man of the hour for the winners. The Punjab lad, who did not get to bat in India’s opening round win over Kenya, grabbed the chance offered by the early dismissals of skipper Sourav Ganguly, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid to compile a powerful and composed 84 from just 80 deliveries and then rounded off a successful day with one catch and a runout when India fielded. He was the lone candidate for ‘man-of-the match’ award.

For the Indians, Zaheer Khan, Ajit Agarkar and Venkatesh Prasad finished with two wickets apiece but the real champions today were the fielders. Robin Singh took two great catches, to first dismiss top scorer Ricky Ponting (46) and then Jason Gillespie to pave the way for India s victory.

Yuvraj pulled off a great diving catch at extra cover to send back Ian Harvey (25) and then dealt the death blow when he ran Dengerman Michael Bevan (42) out with a direct hit from the covers. Ganguly held two smart catches to set the example for his side, and every one of the 11 responded in glorious fashion.

Australia had progressed smoothly to 43 in the eighth over when Agarkar had the elegant but woefully out of form Mark Waugh caught near the third man line by Kumble for just seven.