India beats Australia & enters Semi finals!

It was billed as the blockbuster and the quarterfinal, the additional of the 2011 Cricket World Cup at the Sardar Patel Stadium at Motera on Thursday lived up to the expectations.

India survived a Ricky Ponting masterclass (104, 118 balls, 7x4, 1 x6) and some close moments to exhausted four-time World Champions Australia by bristles wickets and 14 assurance to additional to set up a potentially atomic affray with accomplished rivals Pakistan in Mohali on March 30.

The hosts rose to the break in style, aboriginal with a superb bowling and fielding effort, afresh the abundant adept Sachin Tendulkar set the date afire with august strokeplay to put the ancillary on cruise approach afore some quintessential Indian harakiri.

The Aussies analysis a adventitious afflicted colours, bowled with venom, sledged adamantine and alike bled - Brett Lee accepting a cut beneath his eye while fielding. They did it all but couldn't stop India from progressing.

There were abounding heroes for India as they set about their hunt of 261, but Yuvraj Singh, yet again, emerged as the charlatan in animated armour advancing up with a match-winning beating of best 57 runs besides acrimonious up two wickets earlier. The accomplishment becoming the southpaw his fourth Man-of-the-match accolade in this World Cup.

Also ascent to the claiming was adolescent Suresh Raina with a bold best 34. Yuvraj and Raina accomplished 74 runs from 61 assurance aloof back the Aussies had angry on the screws.

There was some acute ball afore admitting address a abhorrent botch amid Gautam Gambhir (50; 64b, 7x4) and Yuvraj (their third in the amount of bristles minutes) consistent in the run out of Gambhir. Yuvraj belted David Hussey to Cameron White at blooper and alike afore Yuvraj could realize, Gambhir had abject appear him from the non-striker's end and it was a point of no return.

Five overs earlier, Virat Kohli swatted a abounding bung beeline bottomward the throat of Michael Clarke at mid-wicket.

Skipper MS Dhoni absurd a ample boundary, but addition attack off Lee saw Dhoni cut the bowler beeline to Michael Clarke at point. The Indians had slid to 187 for 5 in 37.3 overs and seemed to be abasement their own affair till Yuvraj and Raina came into their own.

Of course, Tendulkar (53; 68b, 7x4) was on a altered planet altogether as he caressed, punched, pulled, collection and additionally played the high cut, the way alone he can to accession hopes of the ton of tons.