Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi heads the list of contenders for the player of the tournament award at the ICC World Twenty20 South Africa 2007.

The all-rounder has so far polled seven votes to top the latest table, but there are still four players who can catch him as they all come from the sides contesting Monday’s final – India and Pakistan.

Those players include three of Afridi’s team-mates – Misbah-ul-Haq, Younus Khan and his captain, Shoaib Malik – as well as India’s six-hitting star Yuvraj Singh.

All five players have performed strongly during the tournament thus far.

Leg-spinner Afridi is the joint leading wicket-taker – alongside Australia’s Stuart Clark – with 12 victims, and has also scored rapidly whenever he has reached the batting crease, making 91 runs from just 45 balls faced.

Malik (187) and Misbah (175) are among the leading run-scorers in the tournament (only Matthew Hayden of Australia, with 265 runs, has more than Malik’s total), while Younus’s haul of 103 runs includes 51 against Sri Lanka, part of a fourth-wicket record stand of 101 with Malik.

Younus has also taken six catches, a mark only AB De Villiers of South Africa, among all outfielders in the tournament, can match.

As for Yuvraj, his 134 runs have come from just 57 balls, giving him the best batting strike-rate of any player with 75 runs or more – 235.08 runs per hundred balls.

His total includes 12 sixes, seven during his 16-ball innings of 58 against England that included six maximums in one over from Stuart Broad, and another five in his 70 from just 30 deliveries against Australia in the semi-final.

The votes for the player of the tournament award are cast by the commentators for the host broadcaster, ESPN STAR Sports.

They nominate the player of the match for each game on a 3, 2, 1 basis, with three votes for the top performer, two for next best and one vote for the third choice. Those votes are then added together to produce the player of the tournament standings.

All matches, including the final, count towards those standings and the player with most votes at the end of the tournament receives a superb trophy.

If more than one player finishes tied at the top of the list then the player with the most man of the match awards (three votes) is declared the winner.

Yuvraj has two man of the match awards so far (against England and Australia) while Misbah (Australia), Younus (Sri Lanka) and Afridi (Scotland) have one each.

Player of the Tournament Standings (top of list, as of 23 September, ahead of final)

Player	Points
Shahid Afridi (Pak)	7
Stuart Clark (Aus)	6
Sanath Jayasuriya (SL)	6
Morne Morkel (SA)	6
Yuvraj Singh (Ind)	6
Matthew Hayden (Aus)	5
Brett Lee (Aus)	5
Craig McMillan (NZ)	5
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak)	5
Younus Khan (Pak)	5
Nathan Bracken (Aus)	4
Dilhara Fernando (SL)	4
Shoaib Malik (Pak)	4

Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi heads the list of contenders for the player of the tournament award at the ICC World Twenty20 South Africa 2007.

The all-rounder has so far polled seven votes to top the latest table, but there are still four players who can catch him as they all come from the sides contesting Monday’s final – India and Pakistan.

Those players include three of Afridi’s team-mates – Misbah-ul-Haq, Younus Khan and his captain, Shoaib Malik – as well as India’s six-hitting star Yuvraj Singh.

All five players have performed strongly during the tournament thus far.

Leg-spinner Afridi is the joint leading wicket-taker – alongside Australia’s Stuart Clark – with 12 victims, and has also scored rapidly whenever he has reached the batting crease, making 91 runs from just 45 balls faced.

Malik (187) and Misbah (175) are among the leading run-scorers in the tournament (only Matthew Hayden of Australia, with 265 runs, has more than Malik’s total), while Younus’s haul of 103 runs includes 51 against Sri Lanka, part of a fourth-wicket record stand of 101 with Malik.

Younus has also taken six catches, a mark only AB De Villiers of South Africa, among all outfielders in the tournament, can match.

As for Yuvraj, his 134 runs have come from just 57 balls, giving him the best batting strike-rate of any player with 75 runs or more – 235.08 runs per hundred balls.

His total includes 12 sixes, seven during his 16-ball innings of 58 against England that included six maximums in one over from Stuart Broad, and another five in his 70 from just 30 deliveries against Australia in the semi-final.

The votes for the player of the tournament award are cast by the commentators for the host broadcaster, ESPN STAR Sports.

They nominate the player of the match for each game on a 3, 2, 1 basis, with three votes for the top performer, two for next best and one vote for the third choice. Those votes are then added together to produce the player of the tournament standings.

All matches, including the final, count towards those standings and the player with most votes at the end of the tournament receives a superb trophy.

If more than one player finishes tied at the top of the list then the player with the most man of the match awards (three votes) is declared the winner.

Yuvraj has two man of the match awards so far (against England and Australia) while Misbah (Australia), Younus (Sri Lanka) and Afridi (Scotland) have one each.

Player of the Tournament Standings (top of list, as of 23 September, ahead of final)

Player	Points
Shahid Afridi (Pak)	7
Stuart Clark (Aus)	6
Sanath Jayasuriya (SL)	6
Morne Morkel (SA)	6
Yuvraj Singh (Ind)	6
Matthew Hayden (Aus)	5
Brett Lee (Aus)	5
Craig McMillan (NZ)	5
Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak)	5
Younus Khan (Pak)	5
Nathan Bracken (Aus)	4
Dilhara Fernando (SL)	4
Shoaib Malik (Pak)	4

India’s Yuvraj Singh has done more than just break bowlers’ hearts during the ongoing ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa; he has also taken the record for the longest hit of the tournament so far.

The left-hander’s blow of 119 metres, one of five sixes he clobbered during a 30-ball innings of 70 against Australia in Saturday evening’s semi-final at Kingsmead, Durban has seen him claim top spot in the list of the biggest sixes in the 27-match event.

Yuvraj, who has hit 12 sixes in four innings in South Africa, has two entries among the 14 biggest blows ahead of the final – the other, of 105 metres, coming during his feat of hitting six sixes in one over off England’s Stuart Broad.

However, he has not hit most sixes in the tournament as his achievement of clearing the ropes 12 times is one behind New Zealand’s Craig McMillan, who has belted 13 maximums.

The ability to determine how far each six has been hit during the ICC World Twenty20 is the result of technology employed by the ICC’s new broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports.

Yuvraj is one of two India batsmen in the list of the 14 biggest hits of the tournament thus far, with Robin Uthappa joining him courtesy of his 102 metre-six, also in the semi-final against Australia.

And also in that elite group are three Pakistan batsmen – Misbah-ul-Haq, Younus Khan and captain Shoaib Malik – and that trio will be among a host of batsmen capable of overtaking Yuvraj at the top of the list when India and Pakistan go head-to-head in Monday’s final.

That final will take place at The Wanderers in Johannesburg and as the venue is around 2000 metres above sea level there is every chance the current mark for the longest hit could be beaten as the theory is that the thinner air should mean the ball will fly further.

Despite that theory, only four of the 14 biggest hits (listed below) have come at The Wanderers with eight in Durban and two in Cape Town.

Both those Cape Town blows, together with one in Durban, have come from the bat of South Africa all-rounder Albie Morkel, who is the player that features most in the list with three appearances.

England and Australia’s bowlers are the ones to have suffered most at the hands of the very biggest hitters with players from the two line-ups hit for massive maximums four times each in that list of the 14 longest strikes.

Yuvraj’s prolific hitting has also given him the mark for the highest batting strike-rate in the tournament so far – 235.08 runs per hundred balls – for players with 75 runs or more. He goes into Monday’s final with 134 runs, including his half-centuries against England and Australia, from just 57 deliveries received.

Biggest sixes of the ICC World Twenty20 South Africa 2007 (as of 23 September, ahead of the final)

Rank	Distance	Player		Match
1	119m	Yuvraj Singh (Ind)	v	Australia, Durban
2	111m	Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak)	v	Australia, Jo’burg
3	110m	Matthew Hayden (Aus)	v	India, Durban
4	107m	Justin Kemp (SA)	v	New Zealand, Durban
5	106m	Albie Morkel (SA)	v	England, Cape Town
6=	105m	Yuvraj Singh (Ind)	v	England, Durban
6=	105m	Albie Morkel (SA)	v	India, Durban
8	104m	Darren Maddy (Eng)	v	New Zealand, Durban
9	103m	Younus Khan (Pak)	v	Sri Lanka, Jo’burg
10=	102m	Albie Morkel (SA)	v	England, Cape Town
10=	102m	Robin Uthappa (Ind)	v	Australia, Durban
12=	101m	Chris Gayle (WI)	v	South Africa, Jo’burg
12=	101m	Craig McMillan (NZ)	v	England, Durban
12=	101m	Shoaib Malik (Pak)	v	Australia, Jo’burg

Most sixes
13	Craig McMillan (NZ)
12	Yuvraj Singh (Ind)
10	Chris Gayle (WI)
10	Matthew Hayden (Aus)
10	Justin Kemp (SA)

India’s Yuvraj Singh has done more than just break bowlers’ hearts during the ongoing ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa; he has also taken the record for the longest hit of the tournament so far.

The left-hander’s blow of 119 metres, one of five sixes he clobbered during a 30-ball innings of 70 against Australia in Saturday evening’s semi-final at Kingsmead, Durban has seen him claim top spot in the list of the biggest sixes in the 27-match event.

Yuvraj, who has hit 12 sixes in four innings in South Africa, has two entries among the 14 biggest blows ahead of the final – the other, of 105 metres, coming during his feat of hitting six sixes in one over off England’s Stuart Broad.

However, he has not hit most sixes in the tournament as his achievement of clearing the ropes 12 times is one behind New Zealand’s Craig McMillan, who has belted 13 maximums.

The ability to determine how far each six has been hit during the ICC World Twenty20 is the result of technology employed by the ICC’s new broadcast partner ESPN STAR Sports.

Yuvraj is one of two India batsmen in the list of the 14 biggest hits of the tournament thus far, with Robin Uthappa joining him courtesy of his 102 metre-six, also in the semi-final against Australia.

And also in that elite group are three Pakistan batsmen – Misbah-ul-Haq, Younus Khan and captain Shoaib Malik – and that trio will be among a host of batsmen capable of overtaking Yuvraj at the top of the list when India and Pakistan go head-to-head in Monday’s final.

That final will take place at The Wanderers in Johannesburg and as the venue is around 2000 metres above sea level there is every chance the current mark for the longest hit could be beaten as the theory is that the thinner air should mean the ball will fly further.

Despite that theory, only four of the 14 biggest hits (listed below) have come at The Wanderers with eight in Durban and two in Cape Town.

Both those Cape Town blows, together with one in Durban, have come from the bat of South Africa all-rounder Albie Morkel, who is the player that features most in the list with three appearances.

England and Australia’s bowlers are the ones to have suffered most at the hands of the very biggest hitters with players from the two line-ups hit for massive maximums four times each in that list of the 14 longest strikes.

Yuvraj’s prolific hitting has also given him the mark for the highest batting strike-rate in the tournament so far – 235.08 runs per hundred balls – for players with 75 runs or more. He goes into Monday’s final with 134 runs, including his half-centuries against England and Australia, from just 57 deliveries received.

Biggest sixes of the ICC World Twenty20 South Africa 2007 (as of 23 September, ahead of the final)

Rank	Distance	Player		Match
1	119m	Yuvraj Singh (Ind)	v	Australia, Durban
2	111m	Misbah-ul-Haq (Pak)	v	Australia, Jo’burg
3	110m	Matthew Hayden (Aus)	v	India, Durban
4	107m	Justin Kemp (SA)	v	New Zealand, Durban
5	106m	Albie Morkel (SA)	v	England, Cape Town
6=	105m	Yuvraj Singh (Ind)	v	England, Durban
6=	105m	Albie Morkel (SA)	v	India, Durban
8	104m	Darren Maddy (Eng)	v	New Zealand, Durban
9	103m	Younus Khan (Pak)	v	Sri Lanka, Jo’burg
10=	102m	Albie Morkel (SA)	v	England, Cape Town
10=	102m	Robin Uthappa (Ind)	v	Australia, Durban
12=	101m	Chris Gayle (WI)	v	South Africa, Jo’burg
12=	101m	Craig McMillan (NZ)	v	England, Durban
12=	101m	Shoaib Malik (Pak)	v	Australia, Jo’burg

Most sixes
13	Craig McMillan (NZ)
12	Yuvraj Singh (Ind)
10	Chris Gayle (WI)
10	Matthew Hayden (Aus)
10	Justin Kemp (SA)

India fined for slow over-rate

India player Shanthakumaran Sreesanth has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during his side’s semi-final against Australia in the ICC World Twenty20 South Africa 2007 at Kingsmead on Saturday.

The India team has also been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate after falling one over short of its requirement when time allowances were taken into consideration.

Sreesanth pleaded guilty to a Level 1 offence in a hearing convened by Emirates Elite Panel ICC Match Referee Chris Broad after play concluded in Durban.

The player accepted he breached clause 1.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to excessive appealing following a delivery he bowled to Matthew Hayden during the fourth over of Australia’s innings.

Explaining his decision, Mr Broad said: “When appealing for a decision a player has to realize he only needs to ask the question once and not over and over again, especially after the umpire has already turned down the appeal.

“Sreesanth was out of order and the incident set a poor example for the millions of people watching either at the venue or on television.

“It was a point he accepted by pleading guilty and, given the fact he has already made regular appearances in Code of Conduct hearings over the past 12 months, he can consider himself fortunate not to be facing a heavier punishment.

“One pleasing aspect of the hearing was that the India captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, accepted his role in the conduct of his players and, as such, I am sure he will remind Sreesanth of his responsibilities to himself, his team and the game in future.

“In addition to the fine levied, I also warned Sreesanth about his conduct going forward and if he continues to breach the Code of Conduct he can expect more severe penalties to come his way.”

India’s slow-over rate saw the team one over short of completing its allocation after time allowances were taken into consideration. That failing saw the players docked five per cent of their match fees with Dhoni, as captain, fined double that amount, a 10 per cent punishment.

Level 1 breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand up to a maximum punishment of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee.

A player does not have a right of appeal in the case of Level 1 offences.

The charges were brought by on-field umpires Mark Benson and Asad Rauf, third official Billy Doctrove and Tony Hill, the fourth umpire.

Present at the hearing, in addition to Sreesanth, the four umpires and the match referee were India manager Sunil Dev and captain Dhoni.

Video evidence was available but was not required as the player pleaded guilty to the offence.

India fined for slow over-rate

India player Shanthakumaran Sreesanth has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during his side’s semi-final against Australia in the ICC World Twenty20 South Africa 2007 at Kingsmead on Saturday.

The India team has also been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate after falling one over short of its requirement when time allowances were taken into consideration.

Sreesanth pleaded guilty to a Level 1 offence in a hearing convened by Emirates Elite Panel ICC Match Referee Chris Broad after play concluded in Durban.

The player accepted he breached clause 1.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct which relates to excessive appealing following a delivery he bowled to Matthew Hayden during the fourth over of Australia’s innings.

Explaining his decision, Mr Broad said: “When appealing for a decision a player has to realize he only needs to ask the question once and not over and over again, especially after the umpire has already turned down the appeal.

“Sreesanth was out of order and the incident set a poor example for the millions of people watching either at the venue or on television.

“It was a point he accepted by pleading guilty and, given the fact he has already made regular appearances in Code of Conduct hearings over the past 12 months, he can consider himself fortunate not to be facing a heavier punishment.

“One pleasing aspect of the hearing was that the India captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, accepted his role in the conduct of his players and, as such, I am sure he will remind Sreesanth of his responsibilities to himself, his team and the game in future.

“In addition to the fine levied, I also warned Sreesanth about his conduct going forward and if he continues to breach the Code of Conduct he can expect more severe penalties to come his way.”

India’s slow-over rate saw the team one over short of completing its allocation after time allowances were taken into consideration. That failing saw the players docked five per cent of their match fees with Dhoni, as captain, fined double that amount, a 10 per cent punishment.

Level 1 breaches of the ICC Code of Conduct carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand up to a maximum punishment of 50 per cent of a player’s match fee.

A player does not have a right of appeal in the case of Level 1 offences.

The charges were brought by on-field umpires Mark Benson and Asad Rauf, third official Billy Doctrove and Tony Hill, the fourth umpire.

Present at the hearing, in addition to Sreesanth, the four umpires and the match referee were India manager Sunil Dev and captain Dhoni.

Video evidence was available but was not required as the player pleaded guilty to the offence.

Durban – Sreesanth had bowled his heart out and completed his quota of four overs by the 15th over. Australia then regained lost ground by scoring 27 runs in the next two overs off Joginder Sharma and Irfan Pathan to need 30 for victory with six wickets in hand in the ICC World Twenty20 semi final at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground on a heady Saturday night.

The rookie paceman Joginder Sharma was getting ready to deliver the 18th over when off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, the most seasoned campaigner in the India squad, walked up to his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and asked for the ball. The rest – as the cliche goes – is history, Harbhajan Singh stifling Australia with a magical over when he conceded just three runs and bowled Michael Clarke with a yorker.

"Being the senior bowler in the team, you have to bowl the pressure overs where you feel the match can take a twist," Harbhajan Singh told the tournament's official website in an exclusive chat. "Australia needed 30 runs in three overs and Joginder Singh was to bowl the 18th. He is inexperienced and I walked up to Dhoni and asked for the ball. I told him that if I bowl that over and concede just five runs, the job of bowling the last two overs would become easier."

He said it was necessary to have a big heart when playing against a top side like Australia. "You have to be on top of your game, soak in the pressure. The team looks forward to big performances from you. It was great fun to be rubbing shoulders against Australia again and it is nice to perform against a team like that. You have to work harder, more intensely against such a side. You can't relax even for a moment against them."

The 28-year-old said anyone could have bowled that since it would not be easy to hit a boundary off every ball in the last over. "I loved the challenge and took up the responsibility," he said. "I am happy God is with me and I am doing a good job for the team. To be just playing good cricket is great fun. And beating Australia was delightful.

"The last time we played them in an ICC event here was the World Cup 2003 final and they had beaten us hollow." Harbhajan Singh. "I believe that tonight we played the kind of cricket that Australia had played then. I think in the end, we outplayed them."

Asked if he saw himself as the senior bowling pro in the squad, he was generous in his praise of his colleagues, taking pride in their performance. "Obviously everyone has been bowling well. RP Singh and Sreesanth have been terrific with the new ball. Irfan Pathan is chipping in with very good spells and has been taking wickets as well. It is great to see the three of them among the wickets," he said. "My role is to stop the flow of runs and also bowl the crucial overs. I am enjoying the opportunities and the responsibilities."

Try and probe if he is hurt at having to sit out of the Indian squad in the recent months and he does not easily let you get a handle on his feelings. "You tend to feel bad when you are out of the side. Especially if you have play seven or eight years. There is nothing you can do about it. I am grateful to Surrey that it called me there at a crucial time. They needed me there and I bowled well and made sure that the team did not get relegated. If I hadn't been playing cricket, I may have been feeling worse. I am delighted I am back in the Indian side and that I am helping the team. We are getting the results and I am happy that it is going well."

He is aware of the irony that India and Pakistan went out of the first round at the ICC World Cup 2007 a few months ago and are now meeting in the ICC World Twenty 20 final. "Cricket is a funny game. We had taken a big side to the World Cup and I was surprised that we went out of the first round," he said. "It wasn't the end of the road. We went through some tough times but we have had to take it in our stride. We are looking forward to playing the final and hopefully it will be a great game of cricket."

Harbhajan Singh returned to his role as a senior in the squad. "This has been a good tournament and we are a young and inexperienced side but hats off to these guys that they have put up their hands and performed in difficult situations. It shows a lot of character," he said. "Look at how Rohit Sharma played the other day against South Africa. It was brilliant that he could play so well under pressure against the favourite team. It is great to see them take up responsibility and if they keep playing to potential, India has a great chance to be the best side in the world."

Durban – Sreesanth had bowled his heart out and completed his quota of four overs by the 15th over. Australia then regained lost ground by scoring 27 runs in the next two overs off Joginder Sharma and Irfan Pathan to need 30 for victory with six wickets in hand in the ICC World Twenty20 semi final at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground on a heady Saturday night.

The rookie paceman Joginder Sharma was getting ready to deliver the 18th over when off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, the most seasoned campaigner in the India squad, walked up to his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and asked for the ball. The rest – as the cliche goes – is history, Harbhajan Singh stifling Australia with a magical over when he conceded just three runs and bowled Michael Clarke with a yorker.

"Being the senior bowler in the team, you have to bowl the pressure overs where you feel the match can take a twist," Harbhajan Singh told the tournament's official website in an exclusive chat. "Australia needed 30 runs in three overs and Joginder Singh was to bowl the 18th. He is inexperienced and I walked up to Dhoni and asked for the ball. I told him that if I bowl that over and concede just five runs, the job of bowling the last two overs would become easier."

He said it was necessary to have a big heart when playing against a top side like Australia. "You have to be on top of your game, soak in the pressure. The team looks forward to big performances from you. It was great fun to be rubbing shoulders against Australia again and it is nice to perform against a team like that. You have to work harder, more intensely against such a side. You can't relax even for a moment against them."

The 28-year-old said anyone could have bowled that since it would not be easy to hit a boundary off every ball in the last over. "I loved the challenge and took up the responsibility," he said. "I am happy God is with me and I am doing a good job for the team. To be just playing good cricket is great fun. And beating Australia was delightful.

"The last time we played them in an ICC event here was the World Cup 2003 final and they had beaten us hollow." Harbhajan Singh. "I believe that tonight we played the kind of cricket that Australia had played then. I think in the end, we outplayed them."

Asked if he saw himself as the senior bowling pro in the squad, he was generous in his praise of his colleagues, taking pride in their performance. "Obviously everyone has been bowling well. RP Singh and Sreesanth have been terrific with the new ball. Irfan Pathan is chipping in with very good spells and has been taking wickets as well. It is great to see the three of them among the wickets," he said. "My role is to stop the flow of runs and also bowl the crucial overs. I am enjoying the opportunities and the responsibilities."

Try and probe if he is hurt at having to sit out of the Indian squad in the recent months and he does not easily let you get a handle on his feelings. "You tend to feel bad when you are out of the side. Especially if you have play seven or eight years. There is nothing you can do about it. I am grateful to Surrey that it called me there at a crucial time. They needed me there and I bowled well and made sure that the team did not get relegated. If I hadn't been playing cricket, I may have been feeling worse. I am delighted I am back in the Indian side and that I am helping the team. We are getting the results and I am happy that it is going well."

He is aware of the irony that India and Pakistan went out of the first round at the ICC World Cup 2007 a few months ago and are now meeting in the ICC World Twenty 20 final. "Cricket is a funny game. We had taken a big side to the World Cup and I was surprised that we went out of the first round," he said. "It wasn't the end of the road. We went through some tough times but we have had to take it in our stride. We are looking forward to playing the final and hopefully it will be a great game of cricket."

Harbhajan Singh returned to his role as a senior in the squad. "This has been a good tournament and we are a young and inexperienced side but hats off to these guys that they have put up their hands and performed in difficult situations. It shows a lot of character," he said. "Look at how Rohit Sharma played the other day against South Africa. It was brilliant that he could play so well under pressure against the favourite team. It is great to see them take up responsibility and if they keep playing to potential, India has a great chance to be the best side in the world."

Durban: You could reach out and touch the electricity in the air as a charged up Yuvraj Singh led an Indian resurgence to a comfortable 188 for five in 20 overs against Australia in the ICC World Twenty20 semifinal at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground here tonight. For the second time in five nights, he creamed the opposition attack to make a breezy half-century.

His knock of 70 off 30 deliveries (five fours and five sixes), coupled with spirited efforts by Robin Uthappa (34, 28 balls, one four, three sixes) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36, 18 balls, four fours and a six) strengthened the dreams of thousands in the stadium and millions in the sub-continent – the juicy prospect of an India-Pakistan final in Johannesburg on Monday.

Before the start of the match, the question on top of everyone's mind was whether Yuvraj would be fit to play the game. The explosive left-hander had sat out of the match against South Africa with a sore elbow but he ruled himself fit to take on the Australians. And he engineered so much electricity in the atmosphere that the stadium lights could have been powered by that.

Yuvraj Singh walked in at the fall of Gautam Gambhir's wicket at 41 after the opener had made 24 but eight overs had already been played and Australia was on top of its game. He pulled the second ball he faced over square-leg and announced his intentions of leading an India fightback in a knock that reminded many of his innings against Australia in Nairobi back in 2000.

His clinical aggression negated the many dot balls that Uthappa was forced to play in his quest to ensure that India would not lose more wickets and come under additional pressure. India raced from 60 in the 10th over to finish with 188 – a whopping 128 runs in the second half of the innings. Yuvraj can take credit for giving direction to the 84-run stand with Uthappa.

Adam Gilchrist, leading the side in Ricky Ponting's absence, and Staurt Clark – man of the match in the team's sensational win over Sri Lanka a couple of days ago challenged Yuvraj with a strong leg-side. The Indian vice-captain picked up the gauntlet and creamed the pace bowler for 20 runs, including a pulled six over mid-wicket and two fours over the cover fielder.

Uthappa, who lived a charmed life at the start, settled down to hit three sixes, including two in succession off Mitchell Johnson before he was run out, Dhoni provided the thrust after Yuvraj Singh fell to a catch at mid-wicket when he attempted to hoist left-arm spinner Michael Clarke over the fielder but did not manage enough elevation.

Who would not love an India-Pakistan final to come at the climax of the fortnight-long tournament? Well, perhaps the Australians don't they have to chase 189 to secure victory to stop that. Can Australia chase 189 for victory, prove its credentials as the world's most feared team and sour that India-Pakistan dream?

Just 20 overs remain between a dream that few would have seen a couple of weeks ago and its actualisation. It may be tough even for Australia to bounce back from the thrashing that it received from Yuvraj Singh and company in the second half of the innings.

Australia Squad
Adam Gilchrist (Captain and wicket-keeper), Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Brad Hodge, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark, Nathan Bracken.

India Squad
Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain and wicket-keeper), Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Joginder Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Rudra Pratap Singh, S Sreesanth

Officials
Chris Broad (match referee)
Asad Rauf and Mark Benson (umpires)
Billy Doctrove (third)
Tony Hill (fourth)

Durban: You could reach out and touch the electricity in the air as a charged up Yuvraj Singh led an Indian resurgence to a comfortable 188 for five in 20 overs against Australia in the ICC World Twenty20 semifinal at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground here tonight. For the second time in five nights, he creamed the opposition attack to make a breezy half-century.

His knock of 70 off 30 deliveries (five fours and five sixes), coupled with spirited efforts by Robin Uthappa (34, 28 balls, one four, three sixes) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36, 18 balls, four fours and a six) strengthened the dreams of thousands in the stadium and millions in the sub-continent – the juicy prospect of an India-Pakistan final in Johannesburg on Monday.

Before the start of the match, the question on top of everyone's mind was whether Yuvraj would be fit to play the game. The explosive left-hander had sat out of the match against South Africa with a sore elbow but he ruled himself fit to take on the Australians. And he engineered so much electricity in the atmosphere that the stadium lights could have been powered by that.

Yuvraj Singh walked in at the fall of Gautam Gambhir's wicket at 41 after the opener had made 24 but eight overs had already been played and Australia was on top of its game. He pulled the second ball he faced over square-leg and announced his intentions of leading an India fightback in a knock that reminded many of his innings against Australia in Nairobi back in 2000.

His clinical aggression negated the many dot balls that Uthappa was forced to play in his quest to ensure that India would not lose more wickets and come under additional pressure. India raced from 60 in the 10th over to finish with 188 – a whopping 128 runs in the second half of the innings. Yuvraj can take credit for giving direction to the 84-run stand with Uthappa.

Adam Gilchrist, leading the side in Ricky Ponting's absence, and Staurt Clark – man of the match in the team's sensational win over Sri Lanka a couple of days ago challenged Yuvraj with a strong leg-side. The Indian vice-captain picked up the gauntlet and creamed the pace bowler for 20 runs, including a pulled six over mid-wicket and two fours over the cover fielder.

Uthappa, who lived a charmed life at the start, settled down to hit three sixes, including two in succession off Mitchell Johnson before he was run out, Dhoni provided the thrust after Yuvraj Singh fell to a catch at mid-wicket when he attempted to hoist left-arm spinner Michael Clarke over the fielder but did not manage enough elevation.

Who would not love an India-Pakistan final to come at the climax of the fortnight-long tournament? Well, perhaps the Australians don't they have to chase 189 to secure victory to stop that. Can Australia chase 189 for victory, prove its credentials as the world's most feared team and sour that India-Pakistan dream?

Just 20 overs remain between a dream that few would have seen a couple of weeks ago and its actualisation. It may be tough even for Australia to bounce back from the thrashing that it received from Yuvraj Singh and company in the second half of the innings.

Australia Squad
Adam Gilchrist (Captain and wicket-keeper), Matthew Hayden, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, Andrew Symonds, Brad Hodge, Brad Haddin, Brett Lee, Mitchell Johnson, Stuart Clark, Nathan Bracken.

India Squad
Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Robin Uthappa, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain and wicket-keeper), Yuvraj Singh, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Joginder Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Rudra Pratap Singh, S Sreesanth

Officials
Chris Broad (match referee)
Asad Rauf and Mark Benson (umpires)
Billy Doctrove (third)
Tony Hill (fourth)