Brathwaite admits he mis-hit key six

West Indies hero Carlos Brathwaite revealed Monday he had mis-hit one of the massive sixes which clinched cricket's World Twenty20 trophy as he commiserated with Ben Stokes for monstering his bowling.

The 27-year-old Brathwaite pummelled four sixes in a row at the start of the last over in Sunday night's final to dramatically deny England victory at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

His third six over long off brought the scores level and took the game away from England once and for all.

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Brathwaite said he had followed his partner Marlon Samuels' advice to "swing for the hills". He described the shot that sailed several rows back in one of the stands as "a mis-hit".

"I miscued the third one, but a 65-metre six and a 94-metre six are still six runs," said Brathwaite.
"I just got it over, kind of spooned it over long-off. And then, I knew the West Indies are world champions, but I didn't want to get too far ahead of myself."

With only one run needed off three deliveries, the rest of the team gathered around the boundary rope and then surged onto the field in jubilation as the fourth ball also went for six.


A distraught Stokes, whose death bowling was one of the key factors in England's passage to the final, sank to his haunches as the West Indies players celebrated around him.

Samuels and Stokes, who have a history of onfield clashes, had more verbal exchanges during the final over which led to the West Indies batsman being fined 30 percent of his match fee.

An unrepentant Samuels taunted Stokes at the post-match press conference by saying the England all-rounder should have been aware that winding him up would only backfire, but that he "doesn't learn".
But Brathwaite was more magnanimous on Monday, calling Stokes "an absolute legend in his own right". Cricket could be a cruel game, he said.

"You shouldn't forget what he has done for England in the past couple of months... To Ben, tough luck last night, commiserations to you and the England team. Wish he has a long and successful career ahead of him."

Simmons rides his luck to carry West Indies into WT20 final

Late replacement Lendl Simmons led a charmed life to blast 82 not out and carry West Indies to a nail-biting seven-wicket win in the last over against India in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20 on Thursday.

Simmons was caught three times at the Wankhede Stadium but made the most of his fortunate reprieves to help West Indies set up a final against England on Sunday.

On 18 and 50 he escaped after the bowlers had overstepped for no-balls.

The 31-year-old also had luck on his side on 68 when Ravindra Jadeja snapped him up on the boundary but stepped on the rope as he lobbed the ball to Virat Kohli, turning a possible dismissal into a six.

Earlier, Kohli continued his rich vein of form by smashing an undefeated 89 to guide India to 192 for two after they were put in to bat.

West Indies lost the dangerous Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels early in their reply but opener Johnson Charles kept them in the hunt with a 36-ball 52 and a third-wicket stand of 97 with Simmons.

The right-handed Simmons plays for Mumbai in the Indian Premier League and was only called into the squad two days ago as a replacement for the injured Andre Fletcher.

He cracked seven fours and five sixes in 51 balls and added an unbeaten 80 with Andre Russell for the fourth wicket to take West Indies home with two balls to spare.

Russell, known for his powerful hitting, contributed 43 off 20 deliveries.

"We knew it was a 200 wicket and halfway in the dressing room I kept telling the boys that India are 10 runs short," said West Indies skipper Darren Sammy, delighted after his team proved they can win without Gayle firing on all cylinders.

"We said this before the tournament that Chris is under pressure, he is our best Twenty20 player but we have 15 match-winners in this side."

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The Belief Was Always There: Inzamam

Afghanistan have consistently been impressive on the world stage ever since they came through in a fairytale journey from Division 5 to near the top echelons.

On Sunday (March 27) at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, they took their most significant step yet, beating powerhouses West Indies by six runs. They had beaten Bangladesh in a One-Day International during the 2014 Asia Cup, and in their first appearance in a World Cup, registered a thrilling one-wicket win over Scotland. However, this was the first time they had beaten a top team – one of the tournament favourites – at a world event.

Inzamam on cricket, peace and character in Afghanistan: In the last two-three years there has been a lot of activity – not just cricket, but football and other sports too – which is very healthy, for any country. If there is peace and there are facilities, sport will flourish better. We couldn’t play as well as we wanted to, we are not in the semifinals, but we didn’t play like absolute newcomers.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan skipper who was appointed the team’s coach in November 2015, was understandably beaming after the match, and said that with more opportunities, his wards would do even better.

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Manish Pandey on standby post Yuvraj Singh’s Injury ahead of semi-final

Ahead of India’s World T20 semi-final against West Indies in Mumbai on Thursday, Manish Pandey has been put on standby for Yuvraj Singh, who injured his ankle during the team’s crunch World T20 encounter against Australia in Mohali on Sunday.

Yuvraj hasn't had the greatest of times in the World T20, scoring 63 runs in 4 matches with a highest score of 24 that came aginst Pakistan. He got to bowl in just one match, where he recorded figures of 1 for 19 in 3 overs against Australia.

It must be noted that Yuvraj Singh is not yet our of T20 WC. He is still part of the team and Pandey will replace him only if the former fails to recover from his injury.

Pandey has a decent Indian Premier League (IPL) record, having played 77 matches and scored 1571 runs at a strike-rate of 116.11. In the 2009 edition of the league, he became the first Indian batsman to score a hundred in the history of the competition, when he made an unbeaten 114 against the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in Centurion, while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Many felt that Pandey was unlucky to miss out on a spot when the initial 15 for the competition was announced.The 26-year-old impressed one-and-all when he made his maiden ODI hundred against Australia in Sydney in January and featured in the squad that took on Sri Lanka in February.

In recent times, Pandey has formed a key component in the batting line-up of the Kolkata Knight Riders and scored a match-winning 94 in the final of the 2014 edition against the Kings XI Punjab, which helped them chase down 200 runs and lift the title for a second time in three years.

Kohli masterclass prompts Tendulkar comparisons

 Indian great Sachin Tendulkar remains the gold standard of batting in the post-Bradman era but Virat Kohli's latest masterclass in Sunday's World Twenty20 shootout against Australia has prompted comparisons with his famous compatriot.

Not for the first time in the tournament, it took Kohli's masterly knock to get India across the line in a virtual quarter-final against the reigning 50-overs world champions.

Kohli remained unbeaten after a sublime 82, burnishing his reputation as arguably the best chaser in limited-overs cricket with a knock that reminded many of Tendulkar's 143 against Australia in a 1998 one-dayer at Sharjah dubbed "desert storm".

Shane Warne was at the receiving end of Tendulkar's wrath in that match and 18 years since the contest, the Australian spin great saw Tendulkar's shadow in Kohli's latest knock.

"Great knock by @imVkohli Reminded me of one of your many special innings buddy," Warne tweeted to his great rival Tendulkar after Kohli secured India a place in the semi-finals on Sunday.
Kohli bejewelled his knock with two sixes and nine boundaries and sprinted tirelessly between wickets in a flawless display of limited overs batting under tremendous pressure.

He middled every ball, timed his shots with surgical precision and found gaps with eerie regularity to stamp his class.

"Of the modern players, I've always thought that Brian Lara was the best placer of the ball," former Australia captain Ian Chappell told www.espncricinfo.com. "I think I have got Brian in second spot now."

LARA'S PRAISE

The West Indian batting great was also bowled over by what he saw and requested videos of Kohli's early days, hailing the Indian as the "best timer of a cricket ball" that he has seen.

At 27, Kohli stands on the brink of batting greatness with 36 international centuries against his name and averages of 44 in tests, 51 in one-dayers and 55 in Twenty20 matches.

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Highlights of IND vs AUS WT20

Sammy: Afghanistan defeat will not define our tournament

West Indies captain Darren Sammy has told his side to forget their surprise Super 10 defeat against Afghanistan as they prepare for a World Twenty20 semi-final on Thursday.

The Windies came into their final group match on Sunday having already qualified for the last four, but lost their unbeaten record as Associate nation Afghanistan defended a modest total of 123-7 to win by six runs and end their campaign on a high.

Sammy's men, winners of the 2012 World T20, can nevertheless look forward to a last-four meeting with either India or Australia in Mumbai.

"We're quite disappointed that we lost the game, but we won't let that define our tournament," said Sammy.

"Whatever happened today doesn't affect how we're going to play in the semis.

"We'll leave this game here and see it as the blip in the tournament. Now we have two knockouts to play, two more steps, semi-finals in Mumbai, take that step, then Kolkata here we come [for the final]."

Sammy insisted the Windies had not taken their foot off the gas with qualification already secured.
"No, we didn't take it lightly," he added. "They are a side we are supposed to beat and we just didn't do that. But the main objective coming out of the Super 10 was to qualify for the semis, and that we did.

"It's a total we should have got. I think we just kept losing wickets, all throughout the innings. We didn't really have one partnership. One partnership of fifty plus would have won us the game. At the end of the day we just didn't play smart enough.

"The games we have won, every match, somebody took responsibility to bat through. Chris [Gayle] did it in the first game, [Andre] Fletcher did it in the second and Marlon [Samuels] did it in the third, so this time nobody did it, nobody took responsibility – just left it for the next man to come."

The Windies will assess a right hamstring injury sustained by Fletcher, which forced the all-rounder to retire hurt before briefly returning at the end of his side's unsuccessful chase.

Magnificent Kohli Powers India Into Semi-Finals

India and Australia played out another epic in a rivalry that is gradually becoming one of the more fabled ones in the cricketing world. This contest, with a semi-final spot in the ICC World Twenty20 2016 at stake, was settled entirely by the incandescence of Virat Kohli, who added another chapter in his rapidly burgeoning masterclass of chases, at a vibrant PCA Stadium.

A capacity Sunday (March 27) crowd was on tenterhooks for much of India’s chase of Australia’s 160 for 6, built primarily on a sparkling opening stand between Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch, though with Kohli in the middle, hope always sprang eternal. The India No. 3 did not disappoint, unfurling an innings of such magnificence, beauty and orthodoxy that he left even the Australians spellbound, and booked India a ticket to the March 31 semi-final at the Wankhede against West Indies.
Riding entirely on the back of Kohli’s undefeated 82 off just 51 deliveries with nine beautifully-timed fours and two towering sixes, India eventually won in a canter, by six wickets with five deliveries to spare. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who saw another crucial toss slip away as Steven Smith called right, landed the customary winning blow by spanking James Faulkner wide of mid-on as India hurtled to 161 for 4, but it was the Test captain who walked away with all the accolades.

Kohli is an excitable young man, so how he manages to control his emotions every time the ball is delivered is astonishing. In a wonderful display of awareness and spectacular shot making on a difficult surface once the ball lost its hardness, Kohli accelerated in dramatic style. His half-century, almost regulation in a chase, came off 39 deliveries, but he only took 12 more for the last 32 runs, smashing six fours and one six in that period to completely dominate the unfinished fifth-wicket stand of 67 off just 31 deliveries. Dhoni’s contribution to the stand was 18 – need one say more?

India came into the last five overs of its innings needing 59, having suffered another top-order disappointment as Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina all fell with just 49 on the board. Kohli had warmed up with a whip through mid-wicket and a drive on the up off successive deliveries, but was forced to rein himself in as the wickets tumbled around him.

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Du Plessis: Proteas must fire on all cyclinders

Faf du Plessis knows South Africa must "step it up a gear" as they prepare for a crunch World Twenty20 clash against West Indies on Friday.

The Springboks started their World T20 campaign by losing to England in a run-fest last week, but responded with a defeat of Afghanistan.

South Africa could replace the Windies, who have won two out of two in India, at the top of Group 1 with a victory in Nagpur.

And T20 captain Du Plessis said there is plenty more to come from his side ahead of the match against the in-form Windies, with a final Group 1 game against Sri Lanka to come next Monday.

"You can't come here thinking any match is going to be easy," he said. "Afghanistan was a difficult game for us, I still think that they can beat someone in this tournament.

"We would have liked to start that first match with a win after posting 230 but it didn't work out that way. We know that we have to play our best cricket leading up to the semi-finals.

"It’s a nice boat to be in. You have to peak at the right time, that is when you win tournaments.
"As a team we have been going at 60 per cent for a while and I'm hoping we'll step it up a gear as we head into the crunch matches."

World T20: James Faulkner's five-for sends Pakistan packing

Australia beat Pakistan.

James Faulkner picked up five wickets while Steven Smith and Shane Watson starred with the bat as Australia kept their semi-final hopes alive after beating Pakistan by 21 runs.

Austraila won by 21 Runs T20 World Cup

Shane Watson retires from international cricket

Shane Watson has announced his retirement from international cricket, 14 years to the day after he first played for Australia. Watson had retired from Test cricket at the end of last year's Ashes tour of England, and he has not played ODIs since September last year; he will now officially depart from Australia's international setup at the end of the ongoing World Twenty20 in India.

Watson's retirement is effectively the final cutting of ties to Australia's dominant era of the early 2000s; he was the last remaining player turning out regularly in any format for Australia who had debuted before 2007, the year of the Warne-McGrath retirements. Watson has also confirmed that he is retiring from first-class cricket, having not played since the Ashes tour.

T20 had yet to be invented when Watson made his international debut in an ODI against South Africa in Centurion on March 24, 2002. He was 20 at the time. Now, on the eve of a crucial World T20 match against Pakistan, at the age of 34 and as a father of two children, Watson has decided that the time has come to move on to another stage of his life.

"One morning I woke up in Dharamsala to the beautiful view and I don't know what it was exactly but I knew now was the right time," Watson said. "I've really enjoyed my time being back in the Australian squad. But it is quite different, none of the other guys I played with growing up are here any more. I've made the right decision. I couldn't really see the light with the all the injuries I had."

Although Watson's Test career was sometimes frustrating for Australian fans and selectors, he was a consistently high performer for his country in the shorter formats. At his peak he reached No.1 on the ICC's T20 international batting rankings and spent two years as the No.1 allrounder; in ODIs he also reached No.1 as an allrounder in 2011, and peaked at No.3 as a batsman.

His clean striking at the top of the order made him a consistent threat as an opening batsman; only Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting struck more sixes for Australia in ODI cricket than Watson, who played far fewer games. As a bowler, he was accurate and reliable, could swing the ball when conditions suited, and provided vital balance to the line-up.

He will finish with 190 one-day internationals to his name for 5757 runs at 40.54, and 168 wickets at 31.79, as well as holding the Australian record for the highest ODI score: his unbeaten 185 against Bangladesh in Dhaka in 2011. Ahead of his final T20 international matches, Watson has 1400 runs at 28.00 from 56 games, and 46 wickets at 24.71.

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'Managing chaos' key to India winning Bangalore cliffhanger

Mahendra Singh Dhoni said India's nailbiting one-run win over Bangladesh to keep their World Twenty20 dream alive was all about holding their nerve and being able to "manage chaos".
India survived a rollercoaster match in Bangalore on Wednesday night that saw Bangladesh come tantalisingly close to chasing down India's total of 146 for seven, only to lose three wickets in the last three balls.

India finally scraped home when wicketkeeping skipper Dhoni ran out Mustafizur Rahman off the last ball of the match, after earlier taking two critical stumpings.

With two wins and one losses, the victory gives India much-needed momentum as they gun for a place in the semi-finals, with only Australia left to play in the group stages.

Dhoni paid credit to his side for keeping cool and recovering from mistakes in the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a packed Chinnaswamy Stadium after showing similar resolve on Saturday in a win over Pakistan.

Dhoni, known as "Captain Cool" and the brains behind India's onfield strategy, said it was important to listen to all voices in those situations, and then come to your own conclusions quickly.

"In a situation like this, it's literally chaos. What you are trying to do is you're trying to manage chaos," Dhoni said after the match.

"Everybody will come and he'll have his own opinion. Often the opinion of a batsman is very different to the opinion of a bowler.

"If I am convinced that this is something I want to do, I will go ahead with it but definitely having an open mind at that point of time really helps because at times in situations like these under pressure, that's where the input of others comes in.

"But you have to assess everything and it has to happen in a very short span of time."
Dhoni singled out his younger charges including 22-year-old paceman Jasprit Bumrah for overcoming some shaky fielding, including a miss-field turned boundary and a dropped chance off Bangladesh star batsman Tamim Iqbal, to produce some solid bowling.

"These are the games that really make you better players because it pushes you to think in a different way, it pushes you to have that confidence in your strength at the time when it's really needed."

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Poor net run rate threatens India's campaign

India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni urged his big-hitters to improve their run rate dramatically against Bangladesh on Wednesday or face the prospect of a humiliating early exit from the World Twenty20 on home soil.


The hosts are precariously placed in fourth spot of Group Two after one defeat and one win. They desperately need a big victory to strengthen their bid for a semi-finals berth.

India's six-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan on Saturday will have boosted their confidence after a shock 47-run defeat to New Zealand in their opening group match.

But Dhoni said India, who were firm favourites at the start of the tournament to lift a second World T20 title, needed to improve to qualify from a tough group that also includes Australia.
"I still feel there is still scope for improvement and in the coming two games that will be our priority," said the captain.

New Zealand top the group on four points after two wins while Pakistan, Australia and India all have two points. However India's run rate, which could determine who qualifies, is considerably worse than their rivals.

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New Zealand crush Pakistan, enter semifinals

New Zealand stormed into the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 Tuesday after opener Martin Guptill smacked 80 off 48 balls to set up a 22-run win against a wayward Pakistan.

The Black Caps posted a strong 180 for five before restricting Pakistan to 158-5 off 20 overs on a sporting wicket at the Punjab Cricket Association ground in Mohali.

The win extended the Kiwis' unbeaten streak in the tournament and also ensured them a place in the last four, their second semi-final of a global event since the last year.

Pakistan opener Sharjeel Khan had threatened to run away with the game after a blistering 25-ball 47 but his dismissal in the sixth over helped the Black Caps claw back on the back of some disciplined bowling and fielding.

Sharjeel gave Pakistan a flying start, hitting nine fours and a six, but the rest of the batsmen failed to rise up to the task.

His sparkling innings came to an end when he holed to Guptill off Adam Milne, and it was all downhill thereafter for Pakistan.

Guptill was the star of the show, smacking three sixes and 10 fours in his match-winning knock after skipper Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bat.

Ross Taylor chipped in with an unbeaten 23-ball 36 to help his side put up a strong total on the board.

New Zealand V Pakistan World T20 Preview – Match 23

In the ICC World T20 2016 so far, New Zealand, who beat India by 47 runs, prevailed over Australia by eight runs and plays Bangladesh in its final Group B Super 10s fixture, is best placed to top the table and enter the semis. But Pakistan, who has had mixed fortunes so far, believes it could be in with a serious chance to be the other semifinalist from the pool if it beats Kane Williamson's men at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium on Tuesday (March 22).

Pakistan's 55-run win against Bangladesh was a complete performance, as the top order made runs and the bowlers delivered. Against India, it was possibly a spinner short in defending 118 as Virat Kohli produced a masterclass. But, form and conditions hardly are a factor when it comes to Pakistan. The more the odds are against the side, the deeper it digs to surprise everyone.

Shahid Afridi, the captain, who has been a part of many such spectacular turnarounds, was in familiar territory when he came for the pre-match press conference, and he was confident in backing his side.

“Even before the tournament started, people had written us off. But, I have stayed away from Twitter and Facebook,” he said. “Right now, all we can do is perform well. If you create a panic situation in the team then it is difficult to sort out things. Miracles always don’t work in cricket. We have to stop repeating small mistakes and play good cricket … There is a time to talk and there is a time to act. Now is the time to act on what has been spoken. We spoke over two days and planned, and tomorrow is action time.

“As a captain, I am just concerned about my team’s and my performance. I have belief in my and team’s ability that we will make the best use of our skills in tomorrow’s game,” he added. “New Zealand are a good team, they have been playing good cricket for a few years now, but conditions are different. It’s also a different event and we have the hunger to win the next match.”

Mike Hesson, New Zealand’s coach, was wary of Pakistan's volatile nature. His team's familiarity with the opposition after having beaten it 2-1 in a bilateral T20I series at home in January could work both ways, he felt.

“They are unpredictable, but very skilful. They have got a lot of pace of left-arm variety and with (Mohammad) Irfan they have a difference in terms of bounce. Their bowling attack is very challenging, completely different from what we had faced in the last two games,” said Hesson. “We are fortunate to have played them recently. Whether that makes them less predictable or just gives us more information [remains to be seen]. As a batting unit, they are relatively predictable in the way they play and that gives us more opportunity with the ball.”

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Zampa, Khawaja deliver Australia win

Usman Khawaja hit a quick-fire half-century to help Australia to a thrilling three-wicket victory against Bangladesh in their World Twenty20 clash in Bangalore on Monday.
The left-handed opener smashed 58 off 45 balls as Australia successfully chased down Bangladesh's total of 156 for five.

The victory puts Australia's bid for a first ever World T20 trophy back on track after the top-ranked Test side lost to New Zealand in their opening match.

The 29-year-old Khawaja whacked seven fours and one six before he was bowled by Al-Amin Hossain in their Super 10 Group Two match.

Khawaja, born in Pakistan, and Shane Watson put on a solid 62-run opening partnership before the veteran all-rounder was run out for 21.

Bangladesh's string of bowlers mounted a spirited attack against the Aussies, after suffering a devastating blow when Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny were suspended for illegal bowling actions at the weekend.

Skipper Steve Smith was bowled for 14 by Mustafizur Rahman and David Warner was caught and bowled for 17 by Shakib Al Hasan. Glenn Maxwell was stumped for 26 off 15 balls.
James Faulkner hit the winning runs with nine balls to spare.

Bangladesh, demolished by Pakistan in their first group match, are now unlikely to qualify for the semi-finals, sitting at the bottom of their group with two matches left to play.

After Australia won the toss and elected to field, Mahmudullah top scored for the Tigers, striking an aggressive unbeaten 49, that included seven fours and one six.

Seasoned T20 campaigner Shakib also chipped in with 33 off 25 balls, as Bangladesh desperately tried to notch up their first points in the group stage.

Shakib struck three fours and one six before being caught by Nathan Coulter-Nile off Adam Zampa for the fifth wicket.

Spinner Zampa, 23, spearheaded the Australian bowling attack by taking three wickets, his first in T20 internationals, while Watson claimed two.

Right-hander Mohammad Mithun struck a tidy 23 off 22 balls before being caught by Watson at deep midwicket off Zampa.

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Australia, Bangladesh fight for survival

Big picture

Following the wintry weather of Dharamsala, Australia hope to thaw their World Twenty20 campaign in the warmer surrounds of Bangalore. Faced with an opponent in Bangladesh who have never beaten them in the format, and aided by the harsh lessons of their opening game against a crafty and resourceful New Zealand, Steven Smith's team will be confident of doing so. Nevertheless, the World T20 is a fleeting experience - the coach Darren Lehmann has said "it's so quick you haven't got too much time to think about it" - and one false move will mean virtual elimination inside two games.

Continuity has long been a problem for Australia in T20, and the New Zealand defeat raised the prospect of still more shuffling. Smith's men have been almost universally blind-sided by the tournament's preponderance of slow and turning surfaces well removed from the kinds of inviting surfaces thy have grown used to in the IPL, and must quickly find a way to prosper against the spinning ball given Bangladesh will not be short of slow men. Team balance is also an issue, with Aaron Finch on the fringes of the team and a second spinner in Ashton Agar who was seemingly picked without much expectation from the selectors that he would be needed. A little stability would not go astray, given how the Australians must now try to build momentum over the next two games before they meet India in the final qualifying match.

Bangladesh have meanwhile been waylaid by the banning of Taskin Ahmed and Arafat Sunny for illegal bowling actions. Aside from the trauma of being ejected from the competition, they have presented the coach Chandika Hathurusingha with his own selection conundrum about who comes in. The batting allrounder Shuvagata Hom and left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib are their likely replacements, the latter chosen for the first time. The fact both men bowl spin will be a reminder of what this tournament is calling for: by the end of Monday night Australia and Bangladesh will know whether they stand a chance of finding the right combination for it.

Form guide
(last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia LWWLL
Bangladesh LWWLW

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Fletcher, Badree maul Sri Lanka

Andre Fletcher powered the West Indies to a comprehensive seven-wicket victory against Sri Lanka in their World Twenty20 match in Bangalore on Sunday, even without destructive opener Chris Gayle.

The 28-year-old smashed an unbeaten 84, including five sixes and six fours, as the Windies successfully chased down Sri Lanka's paltry score of 122 for nine.

Fletcher spearheaded the attack with his 64-ball knock in the absence of explosive opener suffered Gayle, who suffered a tweak in his left hamstring while fielding during Sunday's match and did not bat.
A Windies team representative told reporters that the 36-year-old's injury was "not major" but it raises questions about whether he will play in the rest of the tournament.
An unimpressed crowd repeatedly chanted "We want Gayle, We want Gayle", anxious to see the Jamaican who has played several seasons for the city's team in the glitzy Indian Premier League (IPL).

He teased the crowd by stepping out of the bunker with his bat after the third wicket fell, bringing roars from the stadium, only to walk back inside.

Gayle smashed a scorching century last week during the West Indies' demolition of England by six wickets in their opening Group One Super 10 match.
The West Indies are one of the weakest teams in Test cricket, but they remain a force in the shortest format and are gunning for their second World T20 title after winning the trophy in 2012.

- Struggling Sri Lanka -
Johnson Charles made 10, before chopping the ball onto his stumps, while Marlon Samuels was gone for three and wicket keeper Danesh Ramdin was bowled for five. Andre Russell was not out on 20.
Defending champions Sri Lanka have been struggling for form since winning the trophy two years ago, slumping to seventh in the world rankings.

On Sunday, they posted 122 for nine after West Indies captain Darren Sammy won the toss and elected to field.
All-rounder Thisara Perera top scored for Sri Lanka with 40, including five fours, off 29 balls at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, while skipper Angelo Mathews chipped in with 20.
Opener Tillakaratne Dilshan, the star for Sri Lanka in their win over Afghanistan last week, started in promising style, smacking a six off the second ball.

But the 39-year-old was sent packing in the third over, lbw to Carlos Braithwaite.

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De Villiers, Morris set up crucial SA win

An unconvincing South Africa survived a spirited Afghanistan chase to defend a 200-plus score and get their World Twenty20 campaign back on track. In the absence of Dale Steyn, who was left out for tactical reasons, Chris Morris and Imran Tahir squeezed through the middle period to ensure AB de Villiers' quickfire 64 was not in vain.

Afghanistan's second loss means their chances of progressing to the knockouts are all but over, but they have showed their promise. They kept up with the required run-rate for the first half of their innings and were ahead of where South Africa were at the same stage in their knock, but lost too many wickets to keep going. Afghanistan also did not have a 17th over like South Africa did; de Villiers took 29 runs off Rashid Khan, which ended up being the major difference between the two sides.

In the end, South Africa will be relieved that they were able to defend their total, but disappointed that the margin of victory was not bigger. They tightened up on their discipline in the field but still gave away more extras than their opposition - six wides compared to two from Afghanistan - and did not show the kind of killer instinct that they will need later in the tournament.

They also suffered an injury concern. JP Duminy left the field four balls into Afghanistan's chase with a hamstring strain and was unable to take any further part in the match. Duminy has only just found form again and his availability will be important for the rest of the World T20.

As the same venue where they posted 229 batting first on Friday night, South Africa chose to set a target again. Quinton de Kock picked up from where he left off two days ago and dominated the opening passages of play. De Kock faced all but one delivery in the first two overs and found the boundary five times. Hashim Amla may have wanted to catch up but after one four, gifted a catch to Asghar Stanikzai at mid-off.

South Africa held de Villiers back and sent in Faf du Plessis at No.3. The strategy worked. Du Plessis took on the spin from Mohammad Nabi while de Kock continued to attack in the Powerplay. South Africa finished it on 66 for 1 and 60 of those runs came in boundaries.

When the fielding restrictions were lifted, Rashid put the brakes on with the first boundary-less over of the innings, but du Plessis did not want things to slow down too much. He picked up the pace before being run-out and de Villiers was soon at the crease.

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