By Nick Powell
England will meet West Indies in the final of the World T20 after they produced a brilliant chase to knock hosts and favourites India out in a classic match in Mumbai.
India's opening partnership made a decent start, pushing them out to 62 runs off just over 7 overs. Rohit Sharma was then out however, and Virat Kohli made a chaotic start as India were showing some signs of nerves.
The second partnership took time to get going but rather than smashing the ball they kept the run rate reasonably high through some clever shots. After Rahane was caught, MS Dohni and Virat Kohli made 49 off the final four overs as India posted set an ominous 193.
The West Indies made a dire start, first losing Chris Gayle (the man expected to guide any challenge to the chase) and Marlon Samuels as they slumped to 19-2. The third wicket partnership proved very important however, the 50 partnership coming from 33 deliveries as they reached 84-2 at the halfway stage.
Simmons, who survived three chances to be out, would ultimately guide them to the target with the help of Johnson Charles and at the end, Andre Russell, who hit the winning runs to set up a repeat of their England and the Windies' round one clash on Sunday.
Given that India are the hosts, and have been the best T20 side in the world for the last two years, they were big favourites to win this game, with West Indies Captain Darren Sammy comparing the battle between the Windies and India as that of David and Goliath respectively.
But India had been exposed at times, a convincing defeat against New Zealand in the tournament opener and the narrowest of nervy victories against minnows Bangladesh.
After a difficult couple of overs, India made a rapid start to their innings, they had reached 55 without loss after just 6 overs and it seemed as if they would ease past 200.
But Rohit Sharma was pinned in by a clever skidding delivery from Samuel Badree at the start of the 8th over to somewhat check their momentum.
Virat Kohli came in to a wall of noise, but was almost immediately out after attempting to run on a free hit after missing the ball. Both wicketkeeper Ramdin, and bowler Bravo had the chance to get India's finest out, but they were both agonisingly wide and he survived.
It was a nervy start for Kohli, and the partnership failed to make a quick start. They were scoring in singles, and the normally unplayable Kohli was playing tame and nervous shots.
But despite continued struggles to reach the short boundary, hard running and clever shots from Rahane and Kohli kept the run rate around the 8.5 mark. With 9 wickets in hand they were set to launch into life, but as Rahane went for a short delivery to start an assault, he was caught on the boundary.
The final 4 overs would be key, with India on 133/2, they would feel they still had a chance of reaching close to 200, and their opponents would have believed they could keep them down nearer 160, especially given what happened yesterday.
The former happened however, India scored 17,11, 19 and 12 to reach an impressive 192/2. The incomparable Kohli making a brutal 89 from 47 deliveries after a tough start. However for the Windies, it did seem as if the target could be reachable given that the other finalists England had chased 230 on that very same ground.
They had a mountain to climb after the start though, Jasprit Bumrah's exquisite inswinging yorker clipped off stump sending Chris Gayle back to the pavilion. He was followed back by Marlon Samuels whose poor shot was caught at cover by Rahane off the bowling of Nehra.
Johnson Charles, the other opener, and new bastman Lendl Simmons were finding form however, much to the frustration of the Indian players and fans. The Windies built their way back into the innings and by the sixth over were hitting sixes.
India were still in control of their innings however, and had a chance to tighten their grip back to where it was in the first three overs, when Lendl Simmons chped Ravi Ashwin's delivery straight to Bumrah. He had stepped over for a no-ball however and it proved to be a game changing moment.
West Indies ramped up the run-rate, the next six overs saw 65 wicketless runs and they were suddenly in a position to win the game, Johnson Charles was playing superbly and with some poor bowling from Ravi Jadeja both players were taking advantage and West Indies were flying.
Whilst Kohli is not known for being a bowler, he was put in, and his magic touch transferred from bat to ball as he took the cherished wicket of Charles on 52 after he slogged the ball up to Rohit Sharma. He conceded just four more off that over as Simmons reached 50 to leave West Indies needing 74 from the last 6 overs and India were back on top.
With one, another can come shortly after and it seemed Lendl Simmons had gone after he chipped Hardik Pandya's delivery straight to Ashwin, but incredibly, he overstepped and Simmons escaped incredibly. He hit a six off the free hit and the pressure was building on India.
With four overs to go, you could hear a pin drop in Mumbai as they reached 150 after yet another Simmons six. The next over continued the charge with another 11 off a decent over from Nehra. India once again seemed as if they had wrestled control again however, three dots from Bumrah were followed by a strike from Simmons that seemed to be sensationally flicked back from Jadeja, but he had failed and it was a six that gave the control back to the Windies.
Photos: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/india-vs-west-indies-live-7662364
India's opening partnership made a decent start, pushing them out to 62 runs off just over 7 overs. Rohit Sharma was then out however, and Virat Kohli made a chaotic start as India were showing some signs of nerves.
The second partnership took time to get going but rather than smashing the ball they kept the run rate reasonably high through some clever shots. After Rahane was caught, MS Dohni and Virat Kohli made 49 off the final four overs as India posted set an ominous 193.
The West Indies made a dire start, first losing Chris Gayle (the man expected to guide any challenge to the chase) and Marlon Samuels as they slumped to 19-2. The third wicket partnership proved very important however, the 50 partnership coming from 33 deliveries as they reached 84-2 at the halfway stage.
Simmons, who survived three chances to be out, would ultimately guide them to the target with the help of Johnson Charles and at the end, Andre Russell, who hit the winning runs to set up a repeat of their England and the Windies' round one clash on Sunday.
Given that India are the hosts, and have been the best T20 side in the world for the last two years, they were big favourites to win this game, with West Indies Captain Darren Sammy comparing the battle between the Windies and India as that of David and Goliath respectively.
But India had been exposed at times, a convincing defeat against New Zealand in the tournament opener and the narrowest of nervy victories against minnows Bangladesh.
After a difficult couple of overs, India made a rapid start to their innings, they had reached 55 without loss after just 6 overs and it seemed as if they would ease past 200.
But Rohit Sharma was pinned in by a clever skidding delivery from Samuel Badree at the start of the 8th over to somewhat check their momentum.
Virat Kohli came in to a wall of noise, but was almost immediately out after attempting to run on a free hit after missing the ball. Both wicketkeeper Ramdin, and bowler Bravo had the chance to get India's finest out, but they were both agonisingly wide and he survived.
It was a nervy start for Kohli, and the partnership failed to make a quick start. They were scoring in singles, and the normally unplayable Kohli was playing tame and nervous shots.
Virat Kohli made a laboured start to his innings in Mumbai
But despite continued struggles to reach the short boundary, hard running and clever shots from Rahane and Kohli kept the run rate around the 8.5 mark. With 9 wickets in hand they were set to launch into life, but as Rahane went for a short delivery to start an assault, he was caught on the boundary.
The final 4 overs would be key, with India on 133/2, they would feel they still had a chance of reaching close to 200, and their opponents would have believed they could keep them down nearer 160, especially given what happened yesterday.
The former happened however, India scored 17,11, 19 and 12 to reach an impressive 192/2. The incomparable Kohli making a brutal 89 from 47 deliveries after a tough start. However for the Windies, it did seem as if the target could be reachable given that the other finalists England had chased 230 on that very same ground.
Kohli's magical 89 (47) looked to have won it for India
Bumrah's excellent delivery ended Gayle's hopes of being the hero
Johnson Charles, the other opener, and new bastman Lendl Simmons were finding form however, much to the frustration of the Indian players and fans. The Windies built their way back into the innings and by the sixth over were hitting sixes.
India were still in control of their innings however, and had a chance to tighten their grip back to where it was in the first three overs, when Lendl Simmons chped Ravi Ashwin's delivery straight to Bumrah. He had stepped over for a no-ball however and it proved to be a game changing moment.
West Indies ramped up the run-rate, the next six overs saw 65 wicketless runs and they were suddenly in a position to win the game, Johnson Charles was playing superbly and with some poor bowling from Ravi Jadeja both players were taking advantage and West Indies were flying.
Whilst Kohli is not known for being a bowler, he was put in, and his magic touch transferred from bat to ball as he took the cherished wicket of Charles on 52 after he slogged the ball up to Rohit Sharma. He conceded just four more off that over as Simmons reached 50 to leave West Indies needing 74 from the last 6 overs and India were back on top.
With one, another can come shortly after and it seemed Lendl Simmons had gone after he chipped Hardik Pandya's delivery straight to Ashwin, but incredibly, he overstepped and Simmons escaped incredibly. He hit a six off the free hit and the pressure was building on India.
It was now West Indies' game to lose
Russell ended what had previously been a decent penultimate over for India with a six and four and they needed just 8 from the last over. India would need a miracle like the one they had produced against Bangladesh to win from this position. Unbelievably, Kohli was handed the ball. Could he produce yet more heroics? A single and a dot off the first two balls of the over left the Windies needing seven from four...
But as had happened so often in the game, the West Indies found the boundary out of nowhere, two of them followed and they had made it, an incredible effort from the Windies, but India only had themselves to blame. Like they did in their Championship opener, West Indies and England meet in the Final after a quite sensational chase.
Andre Russell hit the winning runs, but it was Lendl Simmons whose innings had won it for the Windies
Photos: http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/cricket/india-vs-west-indies-live-7662364
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