Wednesday, June 17, 2009

India sign off with third straight defeat

NOTTINGHAM, June 16 (PTI): A pathetic India could not salvage their lost pride and sunk to a 12-run defeat against South Africa to end their miserable Twenty20 World Cup campaign on a losing note here tonight.

Supposedly playing for pride, India's star-studded batting order could not chase down the 131 runs that would have spared them the embarrassment of finishing the Super Eight campaign without a single win to show.

In the end, 118 was all they could manage losing eight wickets.

This was after India's disciplined bowlers -- eight of them were pressed into action -- had restricted South Africa to 130 for five on a sluggish track and the Proteas owed nearly half of their total to AB de Villiers (63) alone.

Gautam Gambhir (21) and Rohit Sharma (29) gave India a strong start but it was Yuvraj Singh's run-a-ball 25 that actually rekindled India's hopes of a win in their swansong tie before the defending champions faltered.

Going by their start, a defeat never looked like a possibility for India. With Gambhir wasting precious little time in imposing himself and his aggression rubbing off on Rohit, India were off to a flying start till the mid-innings collapsed happened. PTI

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