India Cricket

Virat Kohli is a special player, for special occasions. Whenever the pressure is on, he keeps it ice cool and excels. An unbeaten 72 off just 44 balls from Kohli led India into the final of the ICC World Twenty20.

It was a superb innings in many different ways and it was just another reminder that he is a talent to be treasured, especially in the shortest formats of the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=378qd4bMqVA

Chasing 173 for victory, Kohli strolled out to the crease with India at 39-1 after 3.5 overs. Rohit Sharma's cameo had given them a start, but the game was still up for grabs. Kohli's maturity helped guide his team over the line.

Most crucial to this innings was his ability to rotate the strike, ensuring he played one of the finest knocks of the tournament. With just three dot balls faced in his entire innings, Kohli never stopped the scoreboard ticking over. 

After his knock, he spoke at the official press conference:

In a T20 game, a single is as important as a six. I was on 20 not out off 17 balls without hitting a boundary. If you can do that and the opposition know if I can get two boundaries in between, my strike rate goes up to 150, round about that. It is very important to keep rotating the strike—in a rush of blood, you always keep looking for boundaries but as long as you keep rotating the strike and not losing wickets at the same time, keep the scoring rate ticking, the opposition captain has to think about a lot of things.

For a team like the West Indies, who have remarkable firepower but had seen Chris Gayle at the top of the order take such time to get started, it was a valuable lesson.

Rotating the strike was something not only Kohli did well, but India as a whole. South Africa had 40 dot balls in their innings, India had just 29. It was one of the biggest differences between the two teams and Kohli's knock encompassed the sensible approach to T20 cricket. 

His efforts in international T20s since the last edition of the ICC World T20 have been simply outstanding. He averages 52.28 since December 2012 and has posted just one score of below 20 since then. Despite India not playing a vast amount of T20 internationals, Kohli does play regularly in the IPL, something which has clearly helped him refine his craft. And of course, especially in the subcontinent, he remains an astonishing player in the 50-over format.

What makes him outstanding is that his approach is fairly orthodox in what many still view as a format of the game which requires unorthodoxy. With the margins for error so small, Kohli keeps it simple. His approach isn't overtly flash and aggressive like some other leading T20 players—think Aaron Finch, Gayle and David Warner. His approach also isn't as inventive as somebody like AB de Villiers. Kohli remains enchanting, because he can make even the simplest of things look extraordinary. 

During the semi-final against South Africa, where Kohli hit the winning runs, he shared a special moment with his captain. MS Dhoni could have got his side over line, but he decided to give the strike to Kohli instead. India's skipper revealed at the post-match press conference, broadcast on television: 

I had told him you finish it off, but he said in this game, I can’t give you anything else. You have batted really well, so this is my gift to you. I told him that’s very kind of you, and I accepted it.

His passion and dedication to his craft and his love for his country is a rare find in modern cricketers. With so much to play for at global tournaments, Kohli still passionately bleeds Indian blue and seems to be pumped up no matter what the occasion. Beyond the cheeky batsman and the attitude is a player mature beyond his years, though. A player who understands the game and thinks about how to get better all the time. His confidence is often confused for arrogance and even if that were true, with his wealth of talent, he's allowed a little bit of an arrogant streak.

Kohli is just 25 years old, he averages over 40 in every format of the game and he's already scored 25 international centuries. He has the chance to be part of a team who holds the World Cup, Champions Trophy and the World T20 Trophy all at the same time.

The best part? He's only getting started.

India take on South Africa on Thursday afternoon, April 3, in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20, with a place in the final at stake.

Four comfortable wins from four, per BBC Sport, saw India claim an easy passage into this stage of the competition.

By contrast, opponents South Africa have squeaked through each of their wins, per BBC Sport, losing just the one group game by five runs to Sri Lanka in their tournament opener.

Clearly, the South Africans will need to up their game significantly if they want to progress to the final, but they will have their work cut out against India's trio of spin bowlers.

Head-to-Head Record

Per JPN/Agencies via the Jagran Post, India are comfortably in front on the head-to-head records between the sides, both in T20 format generally and also at the World T20.

Total Played: 7

Won by India: 5 (winning percentage 71.42)
Won by South Africa: 2 (winning percentage 28.57)

India vs South Africa at the World T20

Total Played: 4

Won by India: 3 (winning percentage 75.00)
Won by South Africa:  1 (winning percentage 25.00)

Per ZeeNews, the games between the sides at the World T20 have always been close affairs.

In Durban 2007, India triumphed by 37 runs. Two years later in Nottingham, the South Africans that took the honours by 12 runs.

India won the tie by a slender 14 runs in Gros Islet in 2010, whilst in 2012 it was closer still. Just a single run separated the sides in Columbo in 2012, with India victorious again.

Top Batsmen

After his heroics against Australia in their last match, India's left-hander Yuvraj Singh is now the top run scorer in T20 internationals for his country, per FirstPost.com.

His 939 runs have come in just 38 games, taking him past previous record holder Gautam Gambhir. If South Africa want to retain any sort of interest in this match, they need to work Singh early to stop him finding a rhythm.

He's shown on many previous occasions that once in his stride, he can be very difficult to remove. By way of evidence to back up the claim, his eight fifties in T20 cricket are also a record by an Indian batsman, per FirstPost, his most recent coming against the Australians.

Captain MS Dhoni will surely be keeping his fingers crossed that Singh recovers from a slight ankle knock received whilst playing football, per the Jagran Post.

South Africa's AB De Villiers is the man for the big occasion, as he showed in the game against England earlier in this tournament.

Scoring his country's fastest fifty ever in this form of the game, per David Hopps of ESPNCricInfo, he went on to finish with an inspirational knock of 69, which saw South Africa into the semi-final stage. 

India Today noted De Villiers as: 

[...] likely to be one of the most influential players for South Africa in World T20.

[...] his 'street smart' cricket and knack for scoring runs consistently makes him a vital cog for the South African middle-order. 

Top Bowlers

South Africa's Dale Steyn is able to play all forms of cricket with equal ability, per First Post. The fast bowler cuts a fearsome presence when he bears down on the crease at full-tilt, and India's top order will need to be on their mettle to stop the experienced Steyn from making early in-roads.

Calm under pressure, Steyn showed his worth against New Zealand earlier in the tournament when South Africa were staring defeat in the face.

The kiwis needed just seven runs from the final over, and a boundary from Nathan McCullum saw that reduced to just three.

Five dot balls to make up that final over, including taking the wicket of McCullum, saw his side to victory. Arguably, if South Africa are made to bowl first, Steyn can be the difference.

In India's corner is the masterful Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Per Abhishek Purohit of ESPNCricInfo, Kumar is one of three bowlers whose economy with the ball isn't in doubt, sitting at a run per ball.

Purohit notes the conditions favour the spin bowler, and the West Indies' Darren Sammy noted:

Kumar swung the ball both in and out and he bowled good areas.

We know they were bowling to the two most dangerous openers in this format of the game. They kept them quiet.

With the conditions ripe for spin and Kumar being in form at the tournament, a temptation to go for the big hits from the South African openers could be playing straight into India's hands.

The key to the match is for either side to settle quickly and get the top order into gear by playing some natural strokes to keep the run rate ticking over.

Whilst the South Africans are capable of springing a surprise, the conditions will favour the Indian bowlers, and their excellence throughout this tournament should see them claim a place in the final.

Prediction: India to win by five wickets.

The best four T20 nations in the world are left standing as the 2014 World Twenty20 semi-finals are set to get underway on Thursday at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Bangladesh.

India, South Africa, Asia Cup winners Sri Lanka and defending WT20 champions West Indies negotiated their way through the Super 10 group stage, with the latter two teams having earned their spots in the semi-finals with all-or-nothing wins in their respective last matches.

Let's take a look at the schedule for the upcoming semi-finals:

Date	Time	Event	Teams	Live stream
April 3	1 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET	Semi-Final 1	Sri Lanka v West Indies	Sky Go app
April 4	1 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET	Semi-Final 2	India v South Africa	Sky Go app

All stats used are courtesy of ESPN cricinfo. The Sky Go app can be found here.

Semi-Final 1: Sri Lanka v West Indies

Both teams look eerily similar coming into this semi-final clash, boasting a blend of solid and explosive—if occasionally under-performing—batsmen and spin bowlers who have taken over matches at the right time.

But while the Windies have relied on top batsmen like Chris Gayle and Darren Sammy, Sri Lanka have distributed their runs more evenly throughout the lineup, with the notable exception of Mahela Jayawardene. His total of 134 runs makes him by a distance the top scorer for his team (though that includes an 89 against England), and Sri Lanka will be looking for the veteran batsman to continue his excellent form.

Samuel Badree leads the West Indies attack with 10 wickets in the tournament, and the spinner will be looking to attack Jayawardene and the rest of the Sri Lanka team with the new ball. If Badree is able to dismiss the batsman early, Sri Lanka will lose a vital part of their production, forcing other players to step up and take responsibility.

So far this tournament, that hasn't often happened.

Sam Sohel sees this match coming down to the bowlers:

Both teams were very effective with the ball in their last outing, but the Windies look to have more depth than Sri Lanka with the bat. If Jayawardene falls early, you have to favour West Indies' chances of winning this one.

  

Semi-Final 2: India v South Africa

India's bowlers have had phenomenal success so far this tournament. Their batting is little surprise in these conditions, but their bowling attack has also been immense.

India have been absolutely dominant in this year's WT20, and no team remaining in the competition has been able to field a squad as complete as India. They can field, they can bowl and they can score runs in bunches. It's been truly impressive, and somewhat surprising given the lead-up to the tournament, when they struggled at the Asia Cup.

And therein lies the problem. The bowlers, and Amit Mishra and Ravichandran Ashwin in particular, have been so good it has allowed the Indian batsmen to play a very aggressive kind of cricket, going after every ball early and often. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have shined under these circumstances, knocking balls out of the stadium for fun.

But the Proteas can score as well. In fact, Jean-Paul Duminy, Hashim Amla and AB De Villiers have scored well over 400 runs between the three of them, and the South Africans match up reasonably well with India compared to most other teams.

The main difference between these two sides so far has been India's bowling, and as Abhishek points out, India's success has been a pleasant surprise:

But what if the machine suddenly grinds to a halt? India's bowlers weren't supposed to be this effective, and the Proteas' powerful batting lineup has the ability to put them under genuine pressure.

India's batsmen have been very aggressive knowing they could rely on some solid bowling backing them up, but that may not be the case on Friday. Could Kohli and Sharma resist playing "their" game in order to protect what was supposed to be the team's weakness?

India remain the best team left in the competition, but it only takes a few bad overs to decide a match at this level of cricket. If the bowlers can keep up their excellent form, no one should be able to stop India from taking the WT20 crown in a few days.

The question is, can they do it?

The 2014 World Twenty20 Super 10 group stages came to an end on Tuesday, with West Indies becoming the last team to join India, Sri Lanka and South Africa in the semi-finals of the biannual tournament.

Favourites such as Australia and Pakistan were sent packing as spin bowling took over proceedings in the final days of competition, and with all four remaining teams boasting deep groups of bowlers, these last three matches should provide spectators with a ton of high-quality action and the drama that is inherent to T20 cricket.

All statistics used are courtesy of ESPN cricinfo, unless stated otherwise.

Date	Time	Event	Teams	TV info
April 3	1 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET	Semi-final 1	Sri Lanka v West Indies	Sky Sports 3
April 4	1 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET	Semi-final 2	India v South Africa	Sky Sports 3
April 6	1 p.m. BST/9 a.m. ET	Final	TBD	Sky Sports 3

Semi-final 1: Sri Lanka v West Indies

Live stream: Sky Go app (subscription required)

Key stat: Kumar Sangakkara, 18 total runs in four matches

Both teams qualified for the semi-final thanks to all-or-nothing wins over New Zealand and Pakistan respectively, and if those two matches were any indication, we could be headed for one of the lowest scoring outputs in T20 history.

One day after Rangana Herath put together one of the greatest bowling performances the sport has ever seen, Samuel Badree showed the world he's not half-bad as a bowler either.

The Windies' veteran took three Pakistan wickets and surrendered only 10 runs in four overs for a sensational economy rate of 2.50, leading a unit that dominated one of the tournament's most explosive groups of batsmen.

Herath's numbers easily topped those of Badree, though, with five wickets in 3.3 overs and just three runs and two maidens, for a ridiculous economy rate of .85.

West Indies currently have three players with more than 100 runs in this tournament (Chris Gayle, Darren Sammy and Dwayne Smith), with the three combining for 349 total runs.

In contrast, Sri Lanka's three top runs scorers (Mahela Jayawardene, Angelo Mathews and Tillakaratne Dilshan) have only managed to score a combined 269 runs as top batsmen such as Sangakkara (four matches, 18 runs) and Thisara Perera (four matches, 47 runs) have so far failed to live up to their lofty standards.

The Windies' production has mostly come from their top batsmen, whereas Sri Lanka have won matches with runs spread more evenly throughout the lineup. In a battle of lethal in-form spin bowlers, the advantage usually lies with the more balanced team.

If Sangakkara gets going against West Indies and the rest of the team keeps up the current production, this tie will be over in the blink of an eye.

Semi-final 2: India v South Africa

Live stream: Sky Go app (subscription required).

Key stat: Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have combined for 317 runs

India are the last remaining unbeaten team in this tournament, and it's easy to see why. The Men in Blue have dominated all opposition so far and are heavy favourites going into the knockout stages, with the Proteas being the team's latest obstacle on the path to the WT20 crown.

The team has been excellent in every facet of the game, and some superb spin bowling has laid the groundwork for every single result, but it has been the partnership of Kohli and Sharma that has really caught the eye. India seem to score almost at will, and no one scores more than these two batsmen.

But South Africa haven't exactly been shy for runs either, with Jean-Paul Duminy (142), Hashim Amla (163) and AB De Villiers (119) leading the way. Both teams clearly boast powerful batting lineups, so it could be the bowlers who make the difference.

Imran Tahir has the lowest economy of all South African bowlers, with 6.31. Counting Mohit Sharma (5.26), who has only bowled in two overs, India have four players currently beating that mark. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (4.33), Ravichandran Ashwin (4.76) and Amit Mishra (5.5) have all been consistently excellent this tournament.

India have preferred to chase in this year's WT20, and even Pakistan Cricket seems to think the formula makes the Men in Blue virtually unbeatable:

If the Proteas can dismiss one of Kohli or Sharma early, and their bowlers can step up and improve on the current numbers, the team could put India in an unfamiliar position and force the upset.

But if both batsmen get going in their usual fashion, India's bowlers should win the battle quite easily.

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It is strange to consider that, prior to the beginning of the World T20, many people viewed Australia as potential challengers for the trophy, whilst India, fresh off the back of a torrid tour of New Zealand, were thought to perhaps be outside shots for the semi-final stage. As it is, India have won all four of their matches, and Australia have lost all three. How have India formed a winning team so suddenly?

Spin Bowling

Central to India’s success in the tournament has been the frugality and potency of their spin bowlers. While Ravindra Jadeja has admittedly struggled—he’s taken five wickets but leaked runs—Ravi Ashwin and Amit Mishra have tied batsmen in knots. The pair have taken 16 wickets between them and both have conceded less than six runs per over on average.

The pair have been deployed cannily by MS Dhoni, who has also instilled confidence in them by bowling the pair at key stages in the innings. The conditions also obviously suit the bowlers, but India have had greater success than most—they have not conceded more than 140 in any match, and their spin bowlers are chiefly to thank for that.

 

Fast Bowling 

Underlying the success of the spin bowlers, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has a silent determinant in India’s four victories. Kumar has only taken three wickets but has conceded runs at a staggering 4.33 runs per over. When you consider he is bowling in the powerplay and at the death, that is a remarkable effort.

Indeed, India’s fast bowling was cited as one of the reasons they would struggle in the tournament with runs conceded at the beginning and back end of the innings being crucial. The spin bowlers have dominated India’s attack, however, so elsewhere little can be read into.

Mohammad Shami is the other main pacer, and he has struggled to make such an impact as Bhuvneshwar. In fact Shami can perhaps be identified as the main weak link of India’s side. His struggles have forced Dhoni to occasionally turn to the spin of Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina who are not in the same class and have also struggled.

That’s the thing with T20; if one bowler struggles, plans can quickly unravel. 

Batting 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSecMgxBTUU

India’s batting has rotated around the duo of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma who have scored more than 300 runs between them. Kohli is arguably the most prolific, if not the most innovative (AB de Villiers probably takes that accolade) batsman in the world. While, on the other hand, Sharma appears to have turned a corner in the past 12 months and is now batting with responsibility in a global tournament.

Singh’s fifty against Australia was massively important for the balance of India’s team in that his return to form poses India with firepower down the order that they were perhaps otherwise lacking. Of course MS Dhoni offers such ability, but he too has been short of batting practice.

Singh is a player who has been pivotal in previous World Cup campaigns for India; most notably the 2011 World Cup when he won the Man of the Tournament, and here again he appears to be hitting form just at the right time. 

There are still big concerns over India’s batting at the top of the order, with Shikhar Dhawan horribly out of form. But generally speaking, in conditions that favour spin bowling, India have one of the most complete teams in the tournament almost by accident.  

They’ve been fortunate in that none of their opposition have really seemed to hit top gear, and as a result we haven’t seen India under real pressure, but you could argue that is as much because of India’s brilliance as the ineptitude of the opposition. 

The second fast-bowler and the opening-bowler slots remain issues, but Singh’s return to form completes this Indian team as a side who have a real chance of winning the World T20. 

The 2014 World Twenty20 Super 10 stage is nearing its conclusion, with India already having secured passage to the knockout stages of the tournament and several contenders still jostling for the remaining tickets to the next round.

Pakistan and West Indies will battle each other on the final matchday for the second spot in Group 2, while Sri Lanka and New Zealand will do the same a day earlier.

Read on for fully updated Super 10 group tables and a look at some of the batsmen that, in no particular order, have put up the best statistics in this year's WT20.

All statistics are courtesy of ESPN Cricinfo and are accurate as of Sunday, March 30.

Team	Played	Won	Tied	Lost	Points
South Africa	4	3	0	1	6
Sri Lanka	3	2	0	1	4
New Zealand	3	2	0	1	4
England	3	1	0	2	2
Netherlands	3	0	0	3	0

Team	Played	Won	Tied	Lost	Points
India	4	4	0	0	8
West Indies	3	2	0	1	4
Pakistan	3	2	0	1	4
Australia	3	0	0	3	0
Bangladesh	3	0	0	3	0

Hashim Amla (South Africa) 163 runs, 40.75 average

Amla narrowly beats out Jean-Paul Duminy and AB De Villiers for the top spot amongst the Proteas entries, with the top-order batsman's consistency and growth in the tournament being the main difference.

While his compatriots have both had massive games, inflating their stats, Amla has steadily improved on his run count with every passing game and has given the Proteas consistent production at the start of innings, opening the door for Duminy and De Villiers to finish off opponents late.

Alex Hales (England) 154 runs, 77 average

England may have already been eliminated from this year's tournament, but Hales can look back at an impressive campaign in which he became England's first player to score over 100 runs in a single T20 match, when he went off for 116 in a win against Sri Lanka.

With 38 more against South Africa, that gives the massive right-hander a more than respectable average of 77, despite a shaky start to the tournament against New Zealand.

Virat Kohli (India) 147 runs, 85 average; Rohit Sharma (India) 142 runs, 49 average

Both players could have easily had separate entries on this list, but India's batsmen have been so dominant as a group, it's only fitting to put both players up together.

The Men in Blue are the only undefeated team remaining in competition, thanks to some impressive spin bowling and a group of batsmen that match up with the best of them. Frequently choosing to chase, the win over Australia showed the squad can perform while batting first as well, albeit at a slightly less impressive pace.

Kohli and Sharma both like to attack the ball in an aggressive fashion, but it has been their patience in working with what the bowlers have given them that has allowed them to be at their best this tournament.

Most of all, they've been brilliant as a partnership:

India are favourites to go all the way at this point, and these two batsmen are a big reason why.

Ahmed Shehzad (Pakistan) 138 runs, 69 average

Shehzad isn't the only batsman for Pakistan that's been putting up solid numbers (Umar Akmal comes to mind) but his monster performance against Bangladesh (111 not out) pushes Shehzad to the top of the board for his team.

Pakistan Cricket liked what it saw in that match:

Whether the opening batsman can replicate his success in the important match against West Indies remains to be seen, but a similar performance would most likely put his team through to the knockout stages.

Chris Gayle (West Indies) 135 runs, 45 average

West Indies opened the WT20 with a tough loss against India (who have made everyone look bad) and the team has clearly missed ace batsman Kieron Pollard. But Chris Gayle has shouldered the load for his team, and along with some Darren Sammy heroics, Gayle is the main reason the Windies are still alive in this tournament.

As shared by Cricket Record, the Jamaican all-rounder is on a level of his own when it comes to T20 cricket, and the WT20 has been no different:

His 53 against Australia opened the door for Sammy to win it late for the Windies, and a similar performance will be needed if the team wants to beat Pakistan.

Glenn Maxwell (Australia) 142 runs, 47.33 average

Australia came into this tournament as favourites to win the title, having dominated the Proteas in several matches ahead of the WT20 in Bangladesh.

Three losses later, the Aussies will be playing the hosts for the rights not to call themselves the only winless team in the group. Australia has looked uninspired and were on the wrong end of some late heroics courtesy of the Windies, and an early exit is the only logical result.

That shouldn't take away from Maxwell's performance, though. The 25-year-old was the team's only consistent performer, something that was made painfully obvious in the loss to India when Maxwell was the only player to score more than 20 runs.

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India have been in cruise control in the World Twenty20 so far, taking comfortable victories against Pakistan, West Indies and Bangladesh and securing a berth in the semifinals.

Barely tested so far, the highest target for victory required has been the 139 the tournament hosts set them earlier today, something the Indians went past for the loss of just two wickets.

In effect, their three victories have all had striking similarities, from Mahendra Singh Dhoni winning the toss and choosing to field and going on from there.

Early on, the Indians have strangled their opponents with the ball, preventing them from gathering any momentum at all during the Powerplay overs.

Interestingly, in all three of their matches, India’s bowlers have prevented the opposition from going above 35 in the opening six overs, with only Pakistan managing to score over 30.

Having stymied their opponents’ openers in the opening exchanges, the spin bowlers then come into their own, with Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja all playing a role in taking wickets and drying up the runs.

This means that the opposition have been unable to increase their run rate to seven runs per over or beyond, meaning that India’s batsmen are left to chase an infinitely reachable total.

Then, despite the inconsistent performances of opener Shikhar Dhawan, top-order players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli then play a key role in leading them home comfortably.

So in-form have the pair looked that both have passed 50 each in the last two matches, with their strong and seemingly unbreakable partnerships ensuring India take an easy win.

It is a strategy that has served them very well so far in the tournament, albeit against a moderate Bangladesh and the inconsistent West Indies and Pakistan.

They will now be looking forward to their final Super 10 game against Australia on Sunday, then a semifinal clash next week in Mirpur, with hopes of topping their group.

However, despite all this comfort, questions may well remain about India’s team, given that they do not seem to have been tested so far.

The first centres on whether they are truly prepared to set a target if they are asked to bat first by the opposition.

Having been so reliant on their top order to chase down small totals, some batsmen may well be a little out of match practice and lacking time in the middle. So to be asked to step up and set a target—especially in the semifinals—may be a tall order.

There are also questions surrounding the bowlers and how they will cope if a team is able to find form in the opening Powerplay and start hitting boundaries regularly. Will they be able to regain their control, or will such an event be so surprising that they end up conceding over 200 in 20 overs?

Finally, if required to chase a large total, India may find themselves unprepared to do so, given the paucity of competition so far.

In this year’s World T20, they have not been used to chasing large totals at all, so to do so amid the pressure of a semifinal will again be a tough ask. As such, Dhoni and his team will need to keep working hard. If they are complacent enough to believe that the trophy is theirs to lose, it will come back to bite them in a big way.

India have looked incredibly strong, and we will soon find out just how strong they are when they come up against other sides who have been impressive in this tournament.

They may well be one of the favourites to take an overall victory at the World T20, but they will be conscious that one difficult game may prove to be their undoing, even at this stage.

It is up to Dhoni and his players to stay motivated, as surely their remaining games will not be as relatively straightforward as those that have gone before.

India became the first team to reach the semi-finals of the World Twenty20 tournament with an eight-wicket victory over hosts Bangladesh in Mirpur.

India, who chose to field after winning the toss, restricted the Tigers to 138-7 in their 20 overs.

The winners of the inaugural tournament in 2007 reached the target with nine balls to spare.

They now have three wins from Group 2 ahead of their final match with Australia on Sunday.

Bangladesh lost regular wickets, despite 44 at the top of the order from Anamul Haque. When the opener departed after 13 overs, they were struggling at 82-5.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZPHdl79iUYQ

An unbeaten 33 from Mahmudullah gave the hosts a glimmer of hope as they moved close to setting a target of seven runs per over.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Tamim Iqbal	c Raina	b Ashwin	6	14	10
A Haque		b A Mishra	44	49	43
Rahman	c Ro Sharma	b Ashwin	0		1
Shakib		b B Kumar	1	2	2
Mushfiqur Rahim	c Kohli	b Shami	24	22	21
Nasir Hossain	st Dhoni	b A Mishra	16	30	17
Mahmudullah	not out		33	27	23
Rahman	c Jadeja	b A Mishra	0		1
Mortaza	not out		6		2
Extras		0nb 2w 4b 2lb	8
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
B Kumar		3	0	21	1
Ashwin		4	0	15	2
Shami		3	0	29	1
Jadeja		4	0	30	0
Raina		2	0	11	0
A Mishra		4	0	26	3

The dismissal of Shikhar Dhawan in the third over gave Bangladesh hope, but a second wicket partnership of 100 took the game out of their grasp.

Rohit Sharma brought up his second successive half-century from 39 balls before departing for 56 in the 16th over.

The consistent Virat Kohli saw India through to their target with an unbeaten 56 alongside captain MS Dhoni (22 not out), who promoted himself up the order to get some vital batting practice and finished the match with a straight six.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Ro Sharma	c Nasir Hossain	b Mortaza	56	62	44
Dhawan		b Al-Amin	1	11	6
Kohli	not out		57	67	50
Dhoni	not out		22	15	12
Extras		1nb 4w 0b 0lb	5		5
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Mortaza		4	0	23	1
Gazi		3	0	21	0
Al-Amin		4	0	38	1
Shakib		4	0	26	0
Rahman		2.3	0	26	0
Mahmudullah		1	0	7	0

Bangladesh's hopes are now teetering on the brink after their second successive defeat and they will need to beat Pakistan and Australia to have any hopes of progressing.

On current form, India are most certainly favourites to win the World Twenty20. There is a long way to go yet, but MS Dhoni's men have got things spot on in their first two games. It's hard to believe that, prior to the commencement of the World T20, they had last played a match in the format in October 2013.

After two seven-wicket wins, over Pakistan and West Indies, respectively, Dhoni and Co. are looking in fine fettle. But are there weak links in the current India set-up? The short answer is: Yes, of course. All teams have weak links, and India are no different.

The most obvious weak link is in the batting. Dhoni admitted that his batsmen have not quite been tested just yet. After his side's win over West Indies, he told the TV cameras: 

We are playing well, so it doesn't really matter to me that all of us should get a chance, our bowling has been tested while batting not so far. Hopefully, in the coming matches the other batsmen will get a chance.

Of particular concern is Shikhar Dhawan. The swashbuckling left-hander made a big name for himself during the 2013 edition of the Champions Trophy, but he has been somewhat underwhelming in the shortest format of the game.

Dhawan has played just four T20 internationals, and he has scored just 67 runs in all of those combined. Domestically, he is far more experienced with 97 matches and 21 fifties at an average of 31.98, but Dhawan's form is a slight worry.

A stable top order is vital in T20s, and Dhawan's dismissals in both games thus far have been unnecessary. He made a steady 30 against Pakistan but got out trying to play the short ball in far too adventurous fashion.  

Equally concerning is Yuvraj Singh. Not only has his fielding been sloppy, his batting has also been below-average. Against Pakistan, Yuvraj got out cheaply, and against the West Indies, his slow approach forced India to take the game into the final over and finish it far later than they should have.  

Yuvraj is vastly experienced in T20s, but India cannot afford any passengers at this stage. India need win just one more of their group games in order to ensure their qualification for the semi-finals. With their next game against hosts Bangladesh, they might be tempted to test out an alternative batting order and a new face in place of Yuvraj.

Where India also need to test themselves is setting a target. They are a team that prefers to chase in the short format. Dhoni has won the toss and chosen to field first in 16 games out of the 28 occasions he has won the toss. The stats are 50-50, winning eight and losing eight when the toss has been won. Overall, though, India have won 14 out of the 23 T20s in which they have bowled first. 

The toss has been in their favour lately; they've won both and chose to chase each time, and Dhoni's record in winning the toss has been freakish.

It would be good for India to test themselves with setting a target, but if it's a weakness at all, it's a very small one.

From a bowling perspective, India cannot be faulted. They have been sublime. The seamers who have often been criticised have put their hands up, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar being particularly special against the Windies with figures of 3-0-3-0, thanks to a superb spell of swing bowling.

Amit Mishra is a leg-spinning bundle of delight, with a googly that will fox even veteran batsmen. Ravi Jadeja can be expensive, but he remains a real wicket-taking option. No other bowling attack seems more complete.

Sure, India have a few weak links and worries, but as it stands, they look like one of the toughest teams to beat in the World T20.

India recorded their second consecutive win at the World Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh with a seven-wicket victory over defending champions West Indies in Mirpur.

India, who won the toss and elected to field, restricted the 2012 winners to 129-7 in their 20 overs at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.

The winners of the inaugural tournament in South Africa in 2007 reached their target with two balls to spare.

After their opening victory against Pakistan, MS Dhoni’s side top Group 2 and they could seal a place in the semi-finals with victory over Bangladesh on Friday.

Dwayne Smith struggled at the top of the order and used up 29 balls to make just 11 and, despite a couple of lusty sixes, Chris Gayle was similarly mooted before being run out in the 13th over for 34.

Marlon Samuels also failed to score at more than a run-a-ball, and Dwayne Bravo was trapped lbw first ball by Amit Mishra, who picked up two wickets in the 15th over.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b10KlPVumck

Ravindra Jadeja picked up three wickets but Dhoni may have regretted the decision not to bowl out Bhuvneshwar Kumar, who conceded just three runs from his three overs, as the slow left-armer was hit for three sixes in the final over.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Dwayne Smith	c and b Ashwin		11	32	29
Gayle	run out (Shami)		34	49	33
Samuels	st Dhoni	b A Mishra	18	21	22
Simmons	c Dhawan	b Jadeja	27	29	22
Dwayne Bravo	lbw	b A Mishra	0		1
Sammy	c Ro Sharma	b Jadeja	11	12	7
Russell	c Kohli	b Jadeja	7	7	5
Narine	not out		7	3	2
Ramdin	not out		0		0
Extras		1nb 12w 0b 1lb	14
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
B Kumar		3	0	3	0
Shami		3	0	27	0
Ashwin		4	0	24	1
A Mishra		4	0	18	2
Raina		2	0	8	0
Jadeja		4	0	48	3

India’s reply started badly, as Shikhar Dhawan departed for a duck with Samuel Badree picking up a fortunate lbw decision.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-lNgpt9xL0

However, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli milked the bowling around with ease, bringing up their half-centuries from 44 and 34 balls, respectively.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUlk7RKEsHE

Kohli went for 54, from 41 balls, with India just 23 short of their target but Sharma carried on and finished unbeaten on 62 from 55 balls with Suresh Raina hitting the winning runs.

			Runs	Minutes	Balls
Ro Sharma	not out		62	77	55
Dhawan	lbw	b Badree	0	2	3
Kohli		b Russell	54	50	41
Yuvraj Singh	c Gayle	b Samuels	10	19	19
Raina	not out		1		1
Extras		1nb 2w 0b 0lb	3
Bowler		Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Badree		4	0	28	1
Santokie		4	0	27	0
Narine		4	0	20	0
Dwayne Bravo		1	0	12	0
Sammy		1	0	9	0
Samuels		3.4	0	22	1
Russell		2	0	12	1

West Indies will look to bounce back from their opening defeat on Tuesday as they face hosts Bangladesh.