September 21, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 08, 1428

DURBAN, Sept 20: Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni propped up India's total of 153 for five in the vital Twenty20 World Cup Super Eights Group E match against South Africa on Thursday.

Sharma scored an unbeaten 50 and Dhoni made 45 in a stand of 85 for the fifth wicket.

India, who won the toss and chose to bat, needed rescuing after they lost their first three wickets for one run in the space of four balls in dwindling to 33 for three in the sixth over.

Veteran paceman Shaun Pollock struck twice in that period to take two for 17 in his unbroken spell of four overs.

India suffered a setback when Yuvraj Singh, who became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in Twenty20 matches in India's win over England on Wednesday, was ruled out with an elbow injury. Yuvraj was replaced by Dinesh Karthik.

Scoreboard

INDIA:

G. Gambhir c Smith b Pollock 19

V. Sehwag c Boucher b Ntini 11

K.D. Karthik c J.A. Morkel b Pollock 0

R.V. Uthappa c Smith b M. Morkel 15

R.P. Sharma not out 50

M.S. Dhoni run out 45

Irfan Pathan not out 0

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-2, W-8, NB-1) 13

TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs) 153

FALL OF WKTS: 1-32, 2-33, 3-33, 4-61, 5-146.

DID NOT BAT: Harbhajan Singh, Joginder Sharma, R.P. Singh, S. Sreesanth.

BOWLING: Pollock 4-0-17-2; Ntini 4-0-30-1 (2w); van der Wath 4-0-43-0; M. Morkel 4-0-32-1 (1nb); Philander 2-0-14-0 (2w); J.A. Morkel 2-0-13-0.

SOUTH AFRICA: G.C. Smith, H.H. Gibbs, A.B. de Villiers, J.M. Kemp, M.V. Boucher, S.M. Pollock, V.D. Philander, J.A. Morkel, J.J. van der Wath, M. Morkel, M. Ntini.

UMPIRES: B.R. Doctrove (West Indies) and S.J.A. Taufel (Australia).

TV UMPIRE: S.J. Davis (Australia).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Madugalle (Sri Lanka).—Agencies