Join 3 Sport as we bring you coverage of the second semi-final of the 2011 World Cup between India and Pakistan in Mohali. Last night Sri Lanka secured their place in the final with a win over New Zealand, now we find out who will join them. India v Pakistan, it’s one of the biggest rivalries in world cricket – and what a stage, the World Cup! Sit back, relax and enjoy live video updates of the match.
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By James Bennett
Scoreboard: India 260/9, Pakistan 231, India win by 29 runs.
ALL VIDEO UP, WATCH PAKISTAN'S WICKETS FALL.
LIVE COMMENTARY:
Over 49.0 - SIX OFF EVERY BALL REQUIRED....Misbah can't do it....dead game now with three balls to go.... Well played India you are in the final! Misbah can't get it away.. this is a sad way to end really...Misbah goes high....and OUT! He's caught at long on and the match is over.India through...match report coming soon.
Over 48.0 - Bang! SIX! Misbah goes straight and long.....surely not.....He's not taking singles...hmm misses out at the end of the over...
Video updated...Munaf is back..
Over 47. 0 - Here we go...Misbah on strike, surely he'll just swing from the hip...He doesn't need to there, Zaheer sprays one down leg and it goes for five wides, shocker! Misbah struggles to get the next two away...then a cracking four through covers. Just a bit too little too late. Bang! Four more, launches lie a shot gun down the ground.Why not a bit earlier Misbah?
Over 46.0 - Nehra to continue, and straight away a wicket. Hit Gul on the full in front of middle, he's out LBW. This is all but over now...Taufel has had a cracking day umpiring, not a mistake from the man. The fans are starting to celebrate, big night in Mohali tonight.
Over 45.0 - Batting power play time, what you got Misbah? A four and not a lot more.. This is getting too big Pakistan.....
Over 44.0 - Two balls, two yorkers from Nehra, great start to the over. Then the bouncer. Great bowling and the run rate required climbs....Four dot balls from Nehra! Pressure tells..... Riaz goes for a wog and skies one, Tendulkar gets under it and takes the catch, great pressure bowling from Nehra. Video coming.
SIX OVERS TO GO! PAKISTAN REQUIRE 62 OFF 36.
Over 43.0 - Harbhajan bowling his last...and Misbah clips one to the fence, his second reverse sweep boundary. Harbhajan with all the tricks to keep the scoring down, lovely toppie there.
Over 42.0 - Nehra has the ball and is keeping things tight. Singles aren't good enough for Pakistan and that's all they can produce at present. Riaz listens and pumps one to the fence, cracking shot.
Great over from Harbhajan, Pakistan need to use their power play before it's too late....
Over 41.0 - Afridi is getting itchy, he's going to go soon, you can sense it.....Yep, there he goes, up in the air and caught off Harbhajan by Sehawag. See you Shahid.
Over 39.0 & 40.0 - Misbah finds a reverse sweep in his bag of tricks and picks up four. The rate is up to 9...power play lads?
Over 38.0 - Remember there is a batting power play to come, tactics is everything right now. Zaheer back...beats the bat first ball. Less than 100 for Pakistan to get...While Afridi is at the crease. there is hope for Pakistan.
Over 36.0 & 37.0 - Up to eight an over required....BOWLED EM, Munaf Patel has knocked over Razzaq, perfect ball, top of off stick. Video coming. Afridi in, this is it for Pakistan, now or never. Video up of the Razzaq wicket. Boom Boom Afridi nails one to the fence, can he pull this off? 11 from the over.
Over 35.0 - Razzaq is antsy, he wants to get off strike and manages it off the third ball. Yuvraj is just such an effective bowler on this surface, really hard to get away.
Over 34.0 - Munaf on and Misbah is making a meal of this chase at the moment, his scoring rate is too slow, hit out or get out Misbah...Finally he gets a single... That's 10 off 30 balls for him, it's not a test match.
VIDEO UP OF THE LATEST WICKET.
Overs 32.0 & 33.0 - Munaf is back on... Misbah is struggling to rotate the strike, just like Younis struggled. Dot after dot from Munaf, good straight bowling. One from the over. Up to seven an over required now, when will they take the batting power play? Bowled em! Harbhajan strikes with his first ball back! Akmal gone, crucial wicket. Razzaq the new man in. The Pakistani running is getting interesting...
Over 31.0 - BANG! Umar smashes a six one handed over the sight screen, quality from the young man. There is a real energy about Umar Akmal, just what Pakistan need.
Overs 29.0 & 30.0 - Boom! Akmal relieves Pakistani pressure with a four over cover and then a booming six over mid wicket, top stuff and valuable for Pakistan.
Over 28. 0 - Nehra back into the attack, he beats the edge and only concedes the single off the over. Things are tightening up, you get the feeling this is going to come down to a frantic finish.
Over 26.0 & 27.0 - The rate is creeping up now above six an over required. Pakistan work the singles. A bit of drama Umar wants a second run and was sent back, he had to scamper but Yuvraj broke the stumps with his hands so NOT OUT. Dhoni continues to work his fields about.
Over 25.0 - This is building nicely.....OUT! Yuvraj strikes again, a rubbish shot from Younis, slicing one to cover, a simple catch. India are starting to move, video coming.
Video updated, see Shafiq go.
Over 24.0 - Harbajan has a trundle.. Dhoni is mixing up his fields, leg slip in position.
Over 22.0 & 23.0 - 100 arrives for Pakistan, ticking over but by no means in complete control. Younis struggling to turn the strike over at the moment. It's reverse swing time, whose got the goods? GONE! Yuvraj the roller picks up the wicket of Shafiq, poor shot from him, the ball kept lowish and clean bowled him, video coming.
Over 21.0 - Yuvraj shows his value, only one from his over. This is the time when the balls a bit softer and it's harder to score runs, how will Pakistan go?
Over 20.0 - Zaheer comes back much to the delight of the home fans. He beats the outside edge and concedes four from the over.
Overs 18.0 & 19.0 - Harbhajan keeps things tight at his end, only giving up four runs. Meanwhile Yuvraj comes on at the other end. He's taken 11 wickets in this World Cup, can he add to it?
Over 17.0 - Video updated. Shafiq starts the Harbhajan over with a beaut four down the ground. Slip in, Dhoni looking for another wicket.
Over 16.0 - Here he is the experienced man, Younis Khan. He gets off the mark with a couple.
When you see the video have a look at Hafeez's shot selection..Brain explosion?!
Overs 14.0 & 15.0 - Shot! Shafiq rocks back and cuts Harbhajan to the fence. There's some quality batting to come for Pakistan, Misbah and Younis and both experienced campaigners. Gone! Munaf has struck. Hafeez waved the wand outside off and caught an edge, Dhoni did the rest. Video coming.
Over 13.0 - Maiden for Munaf, that has quite a nice ring to it really, do it again Munaf.
Over 12.0 - Harbhajan continues... and keeps things tight, this game is set up to go deep.
Overs 10.0 & 11.0 - Bowling power play taken and Harbhajan comes on. he rips a couple and there is some turn for him. Can Hafeez settle to spin? Patel stays on at the other end. He's picked off by Hafeez who looks very comfortable against the quick men.
Video up of the early boundaries and Akmal's downfall.
Over 9.0 - India have well and truly stacked the off side field just trying to bowl one side and cap the runs, Patel doing the bowling at the moment. Ohh Hafeez hooks and gets four from the last, top shot. Pakistan 50 up.
Over 8.0 - Ohh Hafeez just looks so good at the crease, he chips one over the leg side and four more to the opener. GONE! Zaheer has a wicket. Akmal plays a pretty limp square drive that goes straight to Yuvraj at point, Zaheer is pumped up big time! Video coming.
Over 7.0 - Cracking shot from Hafeez, a touch short and he rocked back and flayed it over point to the fence. He has great hands does Hafeez, looks a quality player. Another boundary off the last ball from Kamran, a bit streaky but hey they all count.
Over 6.0 - Nehra bowls a solid over only going for one run, the pressure goes back on the Pakistani openers.
Over 5.0 - Munaf Patel on and he hoops a leg cutter past the edge first up. He's bowling with some fire early on and starts with a great over.
Over 4.0 - It's like the crowd has gone home, it is so quiet! They are shocked as Hafeez guides another one past the cover field and to the boundary.
Over 3.0 - A very confident start for Pakistan here. Hafeez just flicks one off his pads to the boundary, they look untroubled at the moment, Dhoni is going to have to be on his captaincy game.
Over 2.0 - Nehra on at the other end. He jags one past Akmal's bat, top ball. No Pakistani batsman has got a 100 in this World Cup, is tonight the night?
Over1.0 - Back under way...Kamran doesn't muck around and picks eight off the first over, two cracking shots.
Join us for Pakistan's chase in 20 minutes. Video up of all Indian wickets.
Over 49.0 - Final over and Riaz has the job. Gone! A little nick from Zaheer and Kamran finally catches one! That's five wickets for Riaz, top bowling! RUN OUT! Nehra pretty much sacrifices himself so Raina can be on strike for the final ball, He is run out by Riaz at the bowlers end. Two from the final ball and India finish on 260/9. India probably 20 runs light and Riaz can take a lot of credit for that. Video of all wickets coming soon.
Over 48.0 - Afridi shows faith in Gul to bowl another over. The faith is repaid until the final ball which is smacked to the fence. Gul has gone for 69 from eight overs. Indian 250 up.
Over 47. 0 - Riaz is back and Zaheer is very lucky! He plays a little chip shot that he didn't know a hell of a lot about, the batting power play does weird things to batting teams. VIDEO UP OF HARBHAJAN WICKET. Four from the second to last ball, a lucky edge from Zaheer.
Over 46.0 - GONE, Ajmal strikes, out foxing Harbhajan and getting him out stumped. A pretty ordinary shot from Singh there, just swing wildly. Great over, video coming.
Over 45.0 - Raina goes big first ball and picks up four straight down the ground. BANG! He goes again this time through the covers, top shot. Pressure on Gul. Raina, the T20 specialist is turning it on for India...Now Harbhajan gets in on the act and whips one off his pads to the ropes, huge over for India.
Over 44.0 - India have taken the batting power play and Ajmal gets tossed the ball. Great sweep by H Singh brings up the first boundary in 15 overs! The Indian crowd wake from their slumber.
Video updated of the latest wickets.
Over 43.0 - Riaz sprays a couple down the leg side but gets the radar sorted. Time for Raina to stand up and be counted, Harbajan is handy but Raina needs to be the one to step up.
Over 42.0 - Ajmal is proving a problem for Harbhajan, turning it plenty. A bit of dodgy running by Raina and Singh but no harm done.
Overs 40.0 & 41.0 - Ajmal keeps it tight, just three from his over. Riaz back into the attack, really good rotation of the bowlers by Afridi, just an absolute campaigner. Yep, you guessed it, another dropped catch, K Akmal again! Hard one though, diving to his right but really Pakistan can you please practice your catching! RIAZ STRIKES! He is bowling really well! He trapped Dhoni in front and Simon Taufel raised the finger. Dhoni goes for the review and......sorry M S you're on your way. Taufel has got to be the best umpire on this planet, what a decision under pressure. Video coming.
Over 39. 0 - Afridi bowling and review! He hits Dhoni on the front pad and calls for a review unfortunately for him, Dhoni got a massive inside edge. 200 arrives for India they are going at five an over.
Video updated of Tendulkar's wicket.
Overs 37.0 & 38.0 - Afridi and Ajmal in operation, no boundaries and tight bowling, solid stuff, look out for video of the Tendulkar wicket.
Over 36.0 - Finally SACHIN IS CAUGHT! Afridi the captain shows his troops how it's done taking a good diving catch at cover. Tendulkar's innings is over, not his best by any stretch but 85 valuable runs. Ajmal the bowler. Video coming.
Over 35.0 - Afridi keeps things really tight for his over, only a few from it.
Over 34.0 - This is stupid, Tendulkar is dropped again! That's four times! Umar Akmal put it down this time, jumping at mid wicket. At least it wasn't Afridi bowling, this time it was Hafeeez the unlucky bowler.
Over 33.0 - Gul continues and gets a touch sloppy, overstepping but isn't punished by Tendulkar with the free hit.
Over 32. 0 - Quality stuff by Hafeez, he concedes a couple off his over but Pakistan need wickets!
Over 30.0 & 31.0 - Hafeez keeps things quiet for an over as it looks like Gul will make a return to the bowling crease. He makes a successful return, one from his over.
Over 29.0 - Afridi on and Tendulkar gets another chance! To be fair to Akmal this was a big edge and hard to control for the keeper. Afridi's back luck continues...seven from the over.
Overs 27.0 & 28.0 - Riaz bowling well again but let down by the fieldsmen, a four is leaked. Riaz bowls with good pace and can swing it late, a great player for Pakistan's future. Hafeez operating at the other end, he is worked for a single, Dhoni looks awkward at the wicket.
Video updated of the Riaz magic, two wickets in two balls.
Over 26.0 - Hafeez bowling and Dhoni looks very tentative. He edges one to the boundary, Afridi should really have a slip in after the previous over of carnage.
Over 25.0 - GONE! Riaz has the break through a superb delivery that squared Kohli up and it flew to U Akmal at backward point, good pace, good bounce and due reward. Ohhh! RIAZ HAS ANOTHER YUVRAJ SINGH GOES FIRST BALL. A ripper of a yorker that reversed in and bowled him all ends up. Riaz on a hatrick...ohh! Close..Dhoni plays a false shot outside off stump. Video coming of both wickets.
Over 24.0 - Hafeez is bowling really well here, only three singles from this over.
Over 22.0 & 23.0 - Hafeez and Riaz with these overs. Singles the order of the day as Kohli gets himself settled. Will Sachin make Pakistan pay the ultimate price and score 100? Comment in below.
Over 20.0 & 21.0 - Tendulkar brings up 50 with a lovely lofted drive over extra cover, every run will be hurting Misbah and Younis. Poor end to the over for Afridi, a deft touch from Tendulkar and four more.
Video updated of the Gambhir wicket.
Over 19.0 - Ohhh! Tendulkar dropped ...again! This time it's the experienced Younis that drops the catch. Afridi was the bolwer again, he won't be at all happy. Younis was at extra cover and to be honest that should've been taken. With a reputation for spot fixing, Pakistan are doing their image no favours with this fielding display.
Over 18. 0 - GONE! Hafeez has struck! He managed to bring Gambhir down the wicket and turned one past the edge. Akmal made no mistake behind the sticks, well stumped.
Over 17.0 - Shahid not at all happy with his fieldsmen there, Riaz was down the ground and he spilled one over the ropes, hands on hips from the Pakistan captain. It's a game of chess between Afridi and Tendulkar at the moment.
Over 16.0 - Hafeez gets a bowl now, he keeps it tight early but then Gmabir plays a glorious back cut to the ropes, sure it was short, but that was talent from Gambir. He's starting to get going now.
Overs 14.0 & 15.0 - Ajmal goes for a few but Afridi keeps things typically tight. The Indian 100 is up in good time, this could be a decent total if they keep this up.
Over 13.0 - Dropped! Sachin is dropped by Misbah at short mid wicket, should have been taken really, that could be crucial in the final wash.
VIDEO UPDATED OF TENDULKAR'S LUCKY ESCAPE.
Overs 12.0 - The spinners in full operation now, Ajmal ruins a good over by going to the fence from the final ball.
Video coming of the Tendulkar near-misses.
Over 11.0 - The big man, Shahid Afridi is into the attack with his quick leg breaks. Sachin taking a few balls to relax after the drama last over, the heart must be pumping!
Over 10.0 - WOW! BIG moments in the match! First Tendulkar was given out LBW, he reviewed and the decision was reversed, it was missing leg stump.Then...There was a massive stumping appeal, Pakistan very confident...it was close, but also given not out. The crowd erupt both times the not out is given! What can Tendulkar do with his fortune?
Over 9.0 - Riaz backs up Ajmal with a solid over. He was unlucky to concede four leg byes, got to adjust the radar slightly.
Over 8.0 - Ajmal bowls a tight over, conceding just three runs. Better from the Pakistanis.
VIDEO UPDATED OF SEHWAG'S DISMISSAL.
Over 7.0 - Ominous signs for Pakistan, the little master Tendulkar just played a stunning square drive to the fence. That was his second boundary of the over. Quality.
Over 6.0 - A Tendulkar boundary - pure class on the leg glance. India have just pulled the reigns in a bit since Sehwag's departure, fair enough.
Over 5.0 - Riaz gets tossed into the lion's den and starts with a couple of dot balls. WICKET! It's worked and the Sehwag explosion has ended, LBW to Riaz. It was given out by Taufel, reviewed by Sehwag but the ball was hitting leg stick, he's gone. Video coming.
Over 4.0 - Gul is just getting hammered here, wheres the bolwing change Shahid? India are rollocking along, Sehwag is in top form, he played a lovely ramp off the last ball to the fence.
Over 3.0 - A quiet over in comparison really, just the two boundaries! One for the little master this time, a superb cover drive. India have turned up today!
VIDEO UPDATED OF THE EARLY SEHWAG CARNAGE! CHECK IT OUT.
Over 2.0 - The answer to whether or not Sehwag will explode is an emphatic YES! He took Gul apart in that over, five boundaries! Off side and leg side this man is a genius
VIDEO COMING OF EARLY SEHWAG BOUNDARIES.
Over 1.0 - Razzaq gets the ball from the other end. A couple of singles and a watchful Tendulkar to start. You can just sense this is a big match by the way the players are conducting themselves. Will Sehwag explode?
Over 0.0 - Sehwag is slow starting today - it took him a whole three balls before he walloped one to the cover boundary. Sign of things to come? Gul with a nervous start but he will be key to Pakistan's chances.
10:00pm - Here we go, Umar Gul with the first over.
Pakistan:
Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal†, Asad Shafiq, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Shahid Afridi*, Abdul Razzaq, Wahab Riaz, Umar Gul, Saeed Ajmal
India:
V Sehwag, SR Tendulkar, G Gambhir, V Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni*†, SK Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Z Khan, MM Patel, A Nehra
9:44pm - Dhoni won the toss and India will have a bat, I'll put up the team lists for you now.
9:27pm - Watch the video to see action from Sri Lanka's victory last night.
9:20pm - We are about 40 mins away and the weather in Mohali is sunny, phew! Toss not too far away...
Pre game:
No one was taking any chances as the countdown to what has been billed as "the mother of all World Cup matches" entered its final hours on Wednesday.
Hundreds of people had already moved into their seats three hours before the blockbuster semifinal between archrivals India and Pakistan was due to begin, many wrapped in India flags.
The early arrivals only just outnumbered the police and security staff who were conspicuously obvious as the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium prepared to host the Prime Ministers of both countries.
They will be joined by a host of other politicians, dignitaries and Bollywood celebrities for the match being variously described as the "Clash of the Titans" and "the final before the final."
Roads around the fortified stadium were closed, and anyone entering the ground had to negotiate several checks, with bags being meticulously searched for any dangerous or suspicious objects. Security officials advised ticket-holders to arrive at the ground in good time.
The sporting rivalry between the nations is as intense as any, but the match took on an added political significance when Pakistan prime minister Yousuf Gilani accepted an invitation from Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh to attend the match together.
"I am going there to show solidarity with our team, with their team and to promote cricket," Gilani said.
The two premiers will reportedly be served a dinner of specialties from India and Pakistan during the match.
While the historic meeting occurs in the VIP box at the PCA Stadium, the sellout crowd of 28,000 will have their eyes trained on the pitch, most of those eagerly awaiting the entrance of national sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar.
Tendulkar, whose face adorns posters across the city, will again target his 100th international century. In his last match against Pakistan at Mohali, he was dismissed for 99 by fast bowler Umar Gul in 2007.
India defeated Australia to set up the showdown with Pakistan and prompt a desperate scramble for tickets. The match has been sold out for more than a week but that didn't stop people queuing at the ticket office in the days before the match, hoping that more seats might be released.
On the black market, tickets have reportedly been fetching up to 100 times their face value.
Those who haven't been fortunate enough to get their hands on a ticket can watch on big screens set up around nearby Chandigarh, which has come to a standstill for the game.
Police have also relaxed a ruling banning people living near the ground from climbing on their roofs to get a birds-eye view.
Across the country, many businesses will shut down for the afternoon – in the knowledge that productivity would undoubtedly drop to zero anyway.
Heavy rain Tuesday night prompted concern that the game might be disrupted by the weather, but by midmorning Wednesday, the PCA Stadium was basking in sunshine.
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