India set up Sri Lanka showdown in Mumbai

India delivered the victory their nation demanded on Wednesday with a World Cup semi-final win by 29 runs over Pakistan in front of a dancing, cheering crowd in the northern Indian town of Mohali.

A fifth win in as many World Cup encounters over their neighbours and fierce foes put the co-hosts into Saturday's final against 1996 champions Sri Lanka in Mumbai.

The first match in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks by the two neighbours, who have fought three wars since independence in 1947, was attended by the prime ministers of both countries.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistan counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani shook hands with both teams, watched by millions of Indians who took the day off work to follow the match on television. Interest was as intense on the other side of the border.

India's victory means the stage will be set on Saturday for Sachin Tendulkar to complete an unprecedented 100 international centuries in his home town.

Tendulkar fell 15 runs short on Wednesday despite the best efforts of the Pakistan fielders who dropped him four times, catches which could have turned the course of the match as India eventually reached a challenging 260 for nine on a low, slow pitch.

"When we started I was thinking of 315, 310 which was a par score according to me," man-of-the-match Tendulkar said at the victory presentation.

"But the way the ball was stopping and coming to the spinners I thought 260, 270 would be a good fighting total.

"Going back to Mumbai, especially for this event, is a wonderful occasion. All I want to say is we will be focused on our job and (we will) get the job done."

DECEPTIVE LATE FLURRY

A late flurry by Misbah-ul-Haq before he was the last man out, caught on the boundary for 56, lifted Pakistan to 231 all out with a ball remaining. But Misbah's innings was deceptive as he accelerated only when the game was all but lost.

"They played better than us. We played some irresponsible shots," said Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi in a graceful losing speech. "I want to say sorry to our nation. We tried our level best."

Three of the Tendulkar misses came off Afridi, who maintained his composure in a manner which demonstrated how much he has matured as the one-day captain.

Afridi showed no signs of panic when Virender Sehwag sped to 38 from 25 balls with nine boundaries in an innings which threatened to take the game away from Pakistan.

He turned to his strapping left-arm pace bowler Wahab Riaz who responded with five for 46, including the wickets of Sehwag and Yuvraj Singh, who was bowled first ball with a wonderful swinging yorker. Yuvraj had averaged 113.66 before the match.

"It was difficult to rotate the strike and in the middle overs it got very difficult because they were bowling a very good line and length," said Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

"The ball was stopping and we read the wicket wrong. It was one of the reasons we played with three seamers."

Indian coach Gary Kirsten paid tribute to the team's bowlers, who he said had read the conditions correctly.

"It was more and more difficult to bat as the ball got older. All credit to the bowlers, they identified that early on and they knew that taking some pace off the ball was going to make a real difference.

"The World Cup final will be my last game, the players have been fantastic, they're playing exceptional cricket at the moment. If we put it together... we've got the skill to win this thing."

Pakistan all out for 231

It was a fantastic run for Pakistan who came into the Cricket World Cup 2011 as underdogs. No one really gave thema thought of getting anywhere near the Cup.

However, their run ended on Wednesday night in Mohali. The team was let down by a disappointing dsiplay by thebatsmen despite a noteworthy effort by Pakistani bowlers to restrict India to just 260 for nine.

At the post-match interview, Afridi paid tribute to the players and said he was proud to be the captian of such a team that began the cup as uderdogs. "I want to say sorry to my nation. We tried our level best," he said.

"We got off to a fantastic starts, but it got difficult," said Dhoni giving respect to Pakistani bowlers.

"Mumbai is a dream. It is important to peak at the right time. The good thing is we have chased quite a few decent scores. Overall we are ready," he added.

Sachin Tendulkar was declared the Man of the Match

Tendulkar rode his luck as India made 260 for nine against arch-rivals Pakistan in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

India's total would have been considerably less had not Tendulkar been dropped four times on his way to top-scoring with 85 -- an innings that still left him one shy of a hundred international hundreds.

Wahab Riaz kept Pakistan in the match with an impressive display of left-arm fast bowling on his way to a career-best five for 46.

The 25-year-old's performance was all the more admirable as he would have been omitted had Pakistan recalled veteran fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar.

But Riaz, who took a wicket in his first over and later struck twice in two balls, was a constant threat as he surpassed his previous best of three for 22 against Bangladesh in Dhaka three years ago.

"I think 260 will be enough. The wicket's taking spin and if we bowl in the right places it will be very difficult for them," said Suresh Raina, who finished unbeaten on 36.

Virender Sehwag made a typically brisk start after India captain MS Dhoni won the toss, with 21 runs coming off Umar Gul's second over -- the paceman's eight costing 69 in all.

However, a bowling change saw Riaz strike fifth ball when he had Sehwag, hitting across the line, lbw for 38 including nine boundaries.

Tendulkar, opening with Sehwag, subsequently square-drove Riaz for four to become the first batsman ever to score 400 runs in World Cups.

But off-spinner Saeed Ajmal nearly had him out twice in successive balls for 23, a reviewed lbw and tight stumping call both going against Pakistan.

Then, on 27, Tendulkar pulled Pakistan captain and leg-spinner Shahid Afridi hard to short mid-wicket only for Misbah-ul-Haq to drop the two-handed catch.

And Tendulkar was dropped again, on 45, when he mistimed a drive off Afridi and Younus Khan at mid-off failed to hold on.

Tendulkar completed a 67-ball fifty with his eighth boundary, off Afridi, before Riaz struck again.

He had Virat Kohli fending to Umar Akmal at backward point and next ball clean bowled Yuvraj Singh, the hero of India's quarter-final win over champions Australia, for nought on the batsman's home ground with a swinging full toss.

Dhoni survived the hat-trick after the ball just missed his outside edge.

Tendulkar was given a third reprieve by Pakistan on 70 when wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal failed to hold a tough chance off an edged Afridi leg-break.

And he was on 81 when a leaping Umar Akmal at short mid-wicket dropped a checked drive against off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez.

However, Afridi -- who had vowed Tendulkar would not reach the landmark score in this match -- ended his innings when he took a sharp catch at short extra-cover off a hard-hit drive against Ajmal.

Tendulkar faced 115 balls with 11 fours.

When Riaz returned he had Dhoni lbw for 25 to leave India 205 for six before completing his five-wicket haul when Zaheer Khan was caught behind.

The winner of this match will face Sri Lanka in Saturday's final in Mumbai.

Earlier, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat against Pakistan in their World Cup semi-final on Wednesday.

Pakistan named an unchanged team from the lineup who beat West Indies in the quarter-finals while India brought in paceman Ashish Nehra for off-spinner Ravichandran Aswhin.

Fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who will retire after the World Cup, was left out of the Pakistan XI.

The winner of the clash will meet Sri Lanka in Saturday's final in Mumbai.

Teams:

India: Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Ashish Nehra, Zaheer Khan, Munaf Patel.

Pakistan: Mohammad Hafeez, Kamran Akmal, Asad Shafiq, Younus Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Abdul Razzaq, Shahid Afridi (captain), Umar Gul, Wahab Riaz, Saeed Ajmal.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday to watch the cricket World Cup semi-final between their two countries.

The two men were seated in the VIP box for the national anthems before heading on to the pitch at the Mohali stadium in northwest India to shake hands with players from both sides.

Skies have cleared up with sunshine greeting anxious fans into the PCA Stadium.

With the pressure mounting ahead of the all-important semi final match between arch-rivals India and Pakistan, the weather gods decided to play their part too. Mohali received some heavy rain and thunderstorms last night.

However, no need for fans to get disappointed. The sun was out in full force on Wednesday. The match is expected to begin on schedule. The weatherman though has said that there is a slight possibility of a light shower in the evening. However even if the match is called off due to rain -- there is a reserve day (Thursday) when the match can be played.

The Meteorological Department has forecasted a partly cloudy sky to prevail in this region with a little chance of light rain by Wednesday evening.
According to the MeT's area forecast, including that of entire Punjab, there could be dust storm or thunderstorm with light rain at a few places in the state today.

The MeT said that currently western disturbance is prevailing over Jammu and Kashmir and its neighbourhood while Rajasthan and its neighbourhood has been experiencing an Upper Air Cyclonic Circulation.

According to the Mohali pitch curator Daljit Singh, ball is likely to seam around under the flood lights.

EARLIER STORY:

Rain will send Pakistan to final without a ball being bowled

Heavy rains and thunderstorm lashed Mohali on the eve of the blockbuster World Cup semi-final clash between arch-rivals India and Pakistan at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium.

The Meteorological Department has forecasted a partly cloudy sky to prevail in this region with a chance of light rain by Wednesday evening.

If today's match is rained out, then there is a reserve day - on Thursday when the match can be played. But, if Thursday is also washed out by rain, then the rule states, "If following a tie, weather conditions prevent the one over eliminator from being completed, or if the match is a no result, then the team that finished in the higher position in the Group stage shall proceed to the final."

So, if the weather gods are really unkind, it will be heartbreak for India, and Pakistan will make the finals.

"The local forecast for Wednesday is partly cloudy sky with less chance of rain," an official of the Chandigarh-based MeT Department told PTI.

According to the MeT's area forecast, including that of entire Punjab, there could be dust storm or thunderstorm with light rain at a few places in the state on D-day.

The MeT said that currently western disturbance is prevailing over Jammu and Kashmir and its neighbourhood while Rajasthan and its neighbourhood has been experiencing an Upper Air Cyclonic Circulation.

The maximum temperature at Mohali and Chandigarh is hovering in the range of 30-32 degrees Celsius.

The maximum relative humidity on Tuesday was around 68 per cent and the minimum relative humidity was likely to be around 39 per cent.

According to the Mohali pitch curator Daljit Singh, ball is likely to seam around under the flood lights.

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