CRICKET - World Twenty20 2016: Virat Kohli Leads India To T20 Semis

Virat Kohli’s brilliant unbeaten 82 led India hosts to a six wicket victory over Australia

Virat Kohli hit nine to fours and two sixes from 51 balls he faced

ICC World Twenty20 Group 2, Mohali,

Australia 160-6 (20 overs): 43 Finch (34), Pandya 2-36

India 161-4 (19.1 off): 82 * Kohli (51)

India wins by six wickets

Virat Kohli’s brilliant unbeaten 82 led India hosts to a six wicket victory over Australia and a place in the semifinals of the World Twenty20.

Kohli expertly marshaled a chase of 161, taking 32 runs from the last 11 balls he faced to allow MS Dhoni to win with five balls to spare in Mohali.

Earlier, Australia raced to 50 from just 22 deliveries, but were dragged back to 160-6.

India West Indies will meet in the last four in Mumbai on Thursday.

Australia out, ending the international career of Shane Watson, who announced his retirement on Thursday.

Table 2 Group

Kohli classy does it again

Kohli is a master of the persecution of execution, the right-hander averages 91.80 in the second innings of international T20.

The steady progress of India and the regular fall of wickets left the hosts needed 39 from three credits, the required rate higher than any other point of entry.

Until then, Kohli had settled mainly to maneuver the ball and run hard, but launched his attack on James Faulkner, with a limit of one and another six over square off next size below.

Twenty still needed two, only to Kohli to drive, pull and slap four edges of each other during delivered by Nathan Coulter-Nile.

Everything was left was for captain Dhoni to hit the winning boundary off Faulkner and, in the end, was not around.

Australia pegged back

For a while at the start of their innings, Australia looked set to move out of sight as Usman Khawaja and Aaron Finch punished the wayward bowling and Ravichandran Ashwin, Bumrah Jasprit.

But after Ashish Nehra had Khawaja caught behind, India clawed their way back into the contest through the rotation of the left arm of Ravi Ashwin and Yuvraj Singh, although Australia will be harmed by the decision to give Captain Steve Smith caught behind Yuvraj

Glenn Maxwell was bowled by a slower ball from the Bumrah back just as he was beginning to look dangerous and late acceleration did not materialize.

Peter Nevill took 10 of the last two balls of the innings, the only two he faced, but it was not enough.

India peaking at the right time?

India started the tournament as favorites to become the first host nation to win the World T20, but were surprised in a defeat by New Zealand in their first match.

Then, they need a remarkable victory in the last ball against Bangladesh, who needed only one run of three deliveries to continue in the competition.

However, this was his most impressive display so far and, with Kohli in supreme form, which will be largely imagined that add to his victory in the inaugural 2007 tournament.

Peaking at the right time has been vital in previous T20 World - no team is undefeated - and India can do just that.