Kingsmead resembled more Delhi than Durban as a sea of tri-colours greeted India's emphatic, bold 15-run semifinal victory over Australia. The reward now is a match-up with sub-continental neighbours and rivals Pakistan in Monday's dream final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni did his team a great service by winning the toss in the evening. After a hesitant start, India grew wings as repeat man of the match Yuvraj Singh (70, 30b, 5x4, 5x6) produced another innings of rare brilliance to catapult them to a more than competitive 188 for five.

Australia's power hitters found the pressures of chasing in a knockout semifinal too demanding. Despite appearing in control at various stages, the Aussies eventually stuttered to 173 for seven when they ran out of overs, India conceding only 11 off the last two overs, bowled by Rudra Pratap Singh and the till-then expensive Joginder Sharma.

Outstanding figures
RP Singh and S Sreesanth, who was positively outstanding in returning figures of 4-1-12-2, began brightly enough before Australia shed the shackles, first through Matthew Hayden and then the massively built Andrew Symonds. The two added 66 (37b) for the third wicket, picking off Irfan Pathan first, then Joginder and eventually Virender Sehwag, but India lost neither hope nor spirit.

Always aware that they needed just one wicket to wend their way back into the match, India kept plugging away. Returning for a second spell, Sreesanth crashed through Hayden's defences, and India were all over their opponents like a bad rash. Suddenly, the spring was back in their strides, the fielding picked itself up, and Dhoni led with a calm calm head, keeping his excitable troops in check.

As he has done all tournament long, Harbhajan Singh did his bit, crashing through Michael Clarke's ambitious drive. There still was work to be done, and that was completed by RP Singh and Joginder, India reducing fables of Australia's invincibility in crunch games to a myth.

Brilliant start
Australia had started brilliantly with the ball, Brett Lee tucking Sehwag up by bowling short and into his body, and Gautam Gambhir being shackled by both Lee and Nathan Bracken, who gave him no width at all.

India's cause wasn't helped by Sehwag tweaking his groin in the very first over, his movements seriously hampered and forcing him to summon Rohit Sharma as runner.

Placid pitch
The score board progressed at a snail's pace despite the placid nature of the surface, and India appeared to have frittered away the advantage of giving themselves the option of setting a target on an excellent track as they limped to 41 for two off eight overs.

That was, of course, only until Yuvraj arrived in the middle. Having missed the previous game with a left elbow injury, Yuvraj took just two deliveries to show everyone concerned that he was in fine fettle. An outstanding pull off Stuart Clark which mocked the length of the square-leg fence was just the start the left-hander needed as he lay into the Australian bowling with rare gusto.

Seldom have the Aussies been as brutally taken apart as Yuvraj did on this day. Robin Uthappa, dropped at point by Clarke off Clark, was sensible enough to allow his in-form, in-the-zone partner to hog as much of the strike as possible. Yuvraj then tore the Aussies apart with audacious strokeplay. Lee was whip-flicked over square-leg for the longest six of the tournament — at 119 metres — after which Symonds, then Clark, felt the full fury of his stinging blade.

Uthappa wasn't only nip-and-tuck, but Yuvraj was clearly the aggressor, scoring 55 out of the 84-run (39b) third-wicket blitzkrieg. It was exceptionally consistent ball-striking without the loss of either grace or correctness. The scything pulls competed with crisply-timed drives over cover for both style and substance. After Uthappa's fall, Dhoni brought with him his own unique brand of unorthodox batsmanship, pummelling the World champions further, as India rattled up 140 in the last 11 overs. Soul-stirring stuff!
Score board

INDIA
Gambhir c Hodge b Johnson 24
(25b, 4x4)
Sehwag c Gilchrist b Johnson 9
(13b, 1x4)
Uthappa (run out) 34
(28b, 1x4, 3x6)
Yuvraj c Hussey b Clarke 70
(30b, 5x4, 5x6)
Dhoni (run out) 36
(18b, 4x4, 1x6)
R Sharma (not out) 8
(5b, 1x6)
Pathan (not out) 0
(1b)

Extras (LB-6, W-1) 7

Total (for 5 wkts, 20 overs) 188

Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Sehwag), 2-41 (Gambhir), 3-125 (Uthappa), 4-155 (Yuvraj), 5-184 (Dhoni).
Bowling: Lee 4-0-25-0, Bracken 4-0-38-0, Clark 4-0-38-0 (w-1), Johnson 4-0-31-2, Symonds 3-0-37-0, Clarke 1-0-13-1.

Scoring pattern: 5 overs: 26/0; 10: 60/2; 15: 127/3; end of innings: 188/5 in 20 overs.
Runs during Power Play: 1-6 overs: 36/1.

AUSTRALIA
Gilchrist b Sreesanth 22
(13b, 2x4, 2x6)
Hayden b Sreesanth 62
(47b, 4x4, 4x6)
Hodge c Joginder b I Pathan 11
(10b, 1x6)
Symonds b I Pathan 43
(26b, 3x4, 2x6)
Hussey c Yuvraj b Joginder 13
(11b, 1x6)
Clarke b Harbhajan 3
(3b)
Haddin (not out) 5
(8b)
Lee b Joginder 2
(2b)
Johnson (not out) 4
(1b, 1x4)

Extras (LB-3, W-3, NB-2) 8

Total (for 7 wkts, 20 overs) 173

Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Gilchrist), 2-68 (Hodge), 3-134 (Hayden), 4-156 (Symonds), 5-159 (Clarke), 6-167 (Hussey), 7-169 (Lee).

Bowling: RP Singh 4-0-33-0 (w-1, nb-1), Sreesanth 4-1-12-2, I Pathan 4-0-44-2 (w-1), Joginder 3-0-37-2 (w-1), Harbhajan 4-0-24-1, Sehwag 1-0-20-0 (nb-1).

Scoring pattern: 5 overs: 36/0; 10: 77/2; 15: 135/3; end of innings: 173/7 in 20 overs.