Yuvraj, Dhoni guide India to 188/5

Durban, Sep 22 - In-form Yuvraj Singh slammed 70 off 30 balls to guide India to 188 for five wickets in 20 overs against Australia in the second semi-final of the Twenty20 World Championship of cricket here Saturday.

Besides Yuvraj's blitzkrieg (5x4s, 5x6s), captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni smashed 36 off 18 balls (4x4s, 1x6) and Robin Uthappa scored 34 off 28 balls (1x4s, 3x6s) to lift India from 41 for two in seven overs to a competitive total.

Pacer Michael Johnson took two wickets.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the first semi-final in Durban to enter the final, which will be played in Johannesburg Monday.

SCOREBOARD

Second semi-final, India vs. Australia, Twenty20 World Championship, at Kingsmead, Durban

India:

Gautam Gambhir c Hodge b Johnson 24

Virender Sehwag c Gilchrist b Johnson 9

Robin Uthappa run out (Symonds) 34

Yuvraj Singh c Hussey b Clarke 70

Mahendra Singh Dhoni run out (Gilchrist) 36

Rohit Sharma not out 8

Irfan Pathan not out 0

Extras: (leg byes 6, wide 1) 7

Total: (for five wickets in 20 overs) 188

Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Sehwag, 5.2 overs), 2-41 (Gambhir, 7.6), 3-125 (Uthappa, 14.3), 4-155 (Yuvraj, 17.3), 5-184 (Dhoni, 19.5)

Bowling:

Brett Lee 4 0 25 0

Nathan Bracken 4 0 38 0

Stuart Clark 4 0 38 0 (1w)

Michael Johnson 4 0 31 2

Andrew Symonds 3 0 37 0

Michael Clarke 1 0 13 1

Umpires: Asad Rauf (Pakistan) and Mark Benson (England)

TV umpire: Billy Doctrove (West Indies)

Match referee: Chris Broad (England)

(c) Indo-Asian News Service

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