By IANS,
Nottingham : India’s miserable run in the World Twenty20 ended without a win in the Super Eight as they were beaten by South Africa in a low-scoring game by 12 runs here at Trent Bridge.
If short pitched bowling proved India’s nemesis against West Indies and England, South Africa found them out on a slow turner.
Indian bowling attack managed well to restrict South Africa to 130, but the batting crumbled under pressure and finished at 118 for eight in 20 overs.
India got off to a good start with openers Gautam Gambhir (21) and Rohit Sharma (29), scoring 48 runs in 38 balls, but there after the batsmen lost the plot as South African spinners operated.
None of the batsmen save Yuvraj Singh (25) could negotiate the spin of Johan Botha (3-16), Van der Merwe (1-13) and Jean Paul Duminy (1-3), though it was fast bowler Dale Steyn (2-25) who grabbed two wickets including that of Yuvraj in the 19th over to dash India’s hopes.
Yuvran added 31 runs with Harbhajan Singh (15), but once both fell in quick succession, the writing was on the wall for India.
South Africa, thus finished at the top of Group E winning all three Super Eight matches. They will take on Pakistan in the first semi-final here Thursday.
Group F topper Sri Lanka will clash with West Indies in the second semifinal at The Oval Friday.
It was a disheartening end to defending champion India’s campaign as they lost to West Indies, England and South Africa in the Super Eights.
South African batsmen,too, struggled against spinners who extracted good purchase from the slow track.
A.B. de Villiers top scored with 63 off 51 balls, while captain Graeme Smith contributed 26. The rest of the South African batting failed to accelerate.De Villiers hit seven fours in 51 balls,
Ravindra Jadeja was the pick of the Indian bowlers, giving only nine runs in three wickets and taking one wicket. Harbhajan Singh returned figures of 1 for 20.