Match: 15th T20
Venue: Barbados | Date: May 7, 2010
Toss: India elected to field
Result: Australia won by 49 runs
Man of the match: D Warner

In the 15th match of ICC Twenty20 World cup, Australia thrashed India by 49 runs thanks to excellent batting performance by David Warner and Shane Watson. In today’s super eight encounter, Australia were invited to bat first by India. David Warner and Shane Watson smashed Indian bowlers and gave a flying start to Australia.

Watson (54 runs in 32 balls 6*6, 1*4) and Warner (72 runs in 42 balls 7*6, 2*4) scored 104 runs in a mere 65 balls for the opening wicket and laid a platform from where the middle order can launch an all out attack. Australia were finally able to post a total of 184/5 in 20 overs.

Chasing a mammoth 185 to win, India started on a disastrous note as they lost the first wicket when the score was just 10. This had a trickle down effect the Indian batsmen followed one after the other to the pavilion. At one stage, half the side was back to pavilion and score card read 37/5 in 7.5 overs.

The only batsman who offered some resistance to the strong Australian bowling attack was Rohit Sharma who scored a quickfire 46 ball 79. Finally the Indian batting line up collapsed at 135/10 in 17.4 overs. This was the first loss for India in this T20 World Cup.

Match Highlights

* Australia: 50 runs in 5.3 overs, Extras 0
* DA Warner: 50 off 33 balls (2 x 4, 4 x 6)
* Australia: 100 runs in 10.4 overs, Extras 0
* SR Watson: 50 off 31 balls (1 x 4, 6 x 6)
* Australia: 150 runs in 15.2 overs, Extras 0
* Innings Break: Australia – 184/5 in 20.0 overs

* India: 50 runs in 10.2 overs, Extras 5
* RG Sharma: 50 off 33 balls (2 x 4, 4 x 6)
* India: 100 runs in 14.5 overs, Extras 9

Match 15 ICC T20 World Cup – India Vs Australia Scorecard

Match: 5th T20 World Cup
Venue: St Lucia
Date: May 2, 2010
Toss: South Africa won the toss and elected to field first
Result: India won by 14 runs
Man of the match: S Raina

In the 5th match and real test of India, India played against South Africa at St Lucia. South Africa won the toss and elected to bowl first. Murli Vijay and Karthik opened the innings but they could not give India a good start as Murli Vijay got out in the very first over. But the star for India was Suresh Raina who took his time to settle first. Once reached his 50 off 42 balls, he rained runs. He scored his 100 off just 59 balls and became the first Indian to score a 100 in T20. It was his heroic effort which helped India post a total of 186/5 in 20 overs.

Chasing 187 to win, South Africa played superbly and never looked down. G Smith and J Kallis kept the hunt on with superb batting but once Smith was out, the run rate started to mount. The pressure was building on and the run rate was getting rocket high. South African batsmen tried the best to score but some good overs from Indian bowlers made the task impossible. Though a cameo from Morkel did gave India some scare but eventually India was able to clinch the match by 14 runs.

With this win, India ended their group assignment with two victories, beating Afghanistan by seven wickets in the first match and thus have qualified for the Super Eights as the top team from Group C.

Match notes
* India: 50 runs in 8.3 overs, Extras 3
* India: 100 runs in 13.1 overs
* SK Raina: 50 off 42 balls
* India: 150 runs in 17.4 overs, Extras 5
* SK Raina: 100 off 59 balls

* South Africa: 50 runs in 8.4 overs, Extras 3
* JH Kallis: 50 off 45 balls (3 x 4)
* South Africa: 100 runs in 14.2 overs, Extras 3
* South Africa: 150 runs in 18.1 overs, Extras 4

Match 5 – India Vs South Africa Scorecard

Match Details
Match – 3 ICC Twenty20 World Cup 2010
Date – May 1, 2010
Venue – Gros Islet
Toss – India won the toss and elected to field first
Result – India won by 7 wickets

India scored an easy seven-wicket win against Afghanistan in their opening ICC World T20 match.

India began on an aggressive note. A 55-run third wicket stand between Murali Vijay and Yuvraj Singh ensured an easy win for Indian team, the partnership took 49 balls. When Vijay was dismissed by Hamid Hassan – caught out at long-on – India needed just 15 runs. In came captain MS Dhoni and he smashed successive sixes ensuring India an early win.

Half century by Noor Ali Zadran helped Afghanistan to a respectable total. 68-run partnership for the fourth wicket laid the foundation of the Afghanistan’ total – after they were struggling at 29 for 3 earlier. Afghanistan made 115 for eight in 20 overs. Ashish Nehra was the most successful bowler for India with figures of 19 for 3.

Match Highlights
*Afghanistan: 50 runs in 10.2 overs
*Noor Ali: 50 off 47 balls (4 x 4)
*Afghanistan: 100 runs in 17.6 overs
*India: 50 runs in 6.5 overs
*India: 100 runs in 12.2 overs

Match 3 ICC T20 World Cup – India Vs Afghanistan Scorecard

Match 3, Group C – Afghanistan v India
Time – 13:30 GMT, 19:00 IST
May 1, 2010
Venue: Beausejour Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia

India will take on Afghanistan in the third match of ICC T20 World Cup today in Beausejour Stadium. Afghanistan who are the surprised package in this tournament have got huge attention as the country is marred with war and most of its players are born in refugee camps. Though they lack the facilities but the iron will of those players have made the dream come true.

India on the other have are preparing for the unexpected as none of the Afghan player is known in world cricket. Dhoni said, we have seen few videos so as to know the style of batting and bowling. But cricket is the game of uncertainty and India can not take them lightly.

Team for today’s match
India
Gautam Gambhir, M Vijay, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, R Vinay Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra.

Afghanistan
Karim Sadiq, Noor Ali, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Nowroz Mangal (capt), Hamid Hassan, Mirwais Ashraf, Mohammad Nabi, Samiullah Shenwari, Asghar Stanikzai, Shapoor Zadran, Raees Ahmadzai.

The swashbuckling opening batsmen from India, Virender Sehwag has been ruled out of T20 World Cup starting 30th April due to a shoulder injury.

Gautam Gambhir will is now vice captain of Indian team. As a replacement,Tamil Nadu batsman Murli Vijay is given the opportunity due to his excellent form in Indian Premier League.

Indian team’s two of the biggest hitters, Yusuf Pathan and Virender Sehwag agreed on one single point, and that is – IPL has helped a lot in preparing for the upcoming Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies.

Yusuf said “Everybody is playing in IPL. We are getting good practice. It’s a good opportunity for us that we are playing real matches. It’s (IPL) a big tournament and it’s Twenty20 format same that of the T20 World Cup. You have the momentum,”

“There is a problem when you switch from 50 overs to T20 format. There you need some time to adjust. But here we are in the T20 mode. So it is giving us a good practice ahead of the T20 World Cup in the West Indies,” he added.

Sehwag earlier said that IPL was far better way to prepare for the Twenty20 World Cup than practicing in the nets.

“I’m not too worried about us not being all together until just before the tournament starts as we’re all practising together here in India during the IPL and it’s good to be playing T20 matches rather than practicing for four hours,” said Sehwag.

India had won the inaugural edition of Twenty20 World Cup 2007 and does hope to repeat the same this year.