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Rediff.com  » Cricket » PHOTOS: Lucky Lendl stuns Indian cricket fans into silence

PHOTOS: Lucky Lendl stuns Indian cricket fans into silence

Last updated on: April 01, 2016 09:54 IST
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Indian cricket team fans from Chandigarh react as they watch their team lose to the West Indies in World Twenty20 cricket tournament semi-final on Thursday

IMAGE: Indian cricket team fans from Chandigarh react as they watch their team lose to the West Indies in World Twenty20 cricket tournament semi-final on Thursday. Photograph: Ajay Verma/Reuters

Lendl Simmons rode his luck to help West Indies stun Team India by seven wickets and the crowd into silence on Thursday, and book a place in the World T20 final.

The loss left Indian cricket fans dejected as the host team's talisman thus far, Virat Kohli, was smashed for runs in the final over of the Windies innings.

With more than 30,000 fans in the stadium, the Wankhede was packed to capacity. But the West Indies, who had previously won their Super 10's match, chasing against England, at the same ground, knew well how things got done in the conditions. 

Simmons stunned the crowd into silence with big, lusty hitting in the last two overs to see his team through. 

West Indies had batted second in all their previous four matches in the tournament, losing just one game against rank outsiders Afghanistan.

India went into the game banking on their wily spinners to keep the explosive West Indian batsmen quiet but the evening dew wrecked their plans.

Indian supporters watching the ICC T20 World cup match between India and West Indies on a giant screen in Thane on Thursday

IMAGE: Indian supporters watching the ICC T20 World cup match between India and West Indies on a giant screen in Thane on Thursday. Photograph: PTI

West Indies, had won the toss and rightly put the Indians into bat -- the dew factor was going to come into play.

Earlier, West Indian Samuel Badree, the world's top-ranked T20 bowler, kept the home batsmen quiet with his accurate leg-spin as he claimed one for 26 in four overs.

And Kohli scored his third unbeaten half-century in the tournament. 

Kohli began nervously, twice going close to being run out, but made the opposition pay for failing to take their chances.

He struck 11 fours and a six in his 47-ball knock, putting on 66 for the second wicket with Rahane and an unbroken 64 for the third with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (15 not out).

But dew factor played a major role in India's ouster.

"The spinners had some assistance...but as the dew comes in it becomes difficult for them to turn the ball," Dhoni said.

"The seam gets wet and the surface becomes a bit greasy so it comes on to the bat nicely. We have seen that our spinners do struggle in conditions like these."

India were ousted, but Kohli gave the fans their share of delight through the tournament.

Sadly, he could not rescue India and the fans' hopes with the ball!

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