Samson’s 97 puts India into T20 World Cup semi-final against England

KOLKATA: Sanju Samson’s sparkling unbeaten 97 kept alive India’s dream of retaining the T20 World Cup at home as they knocked out the West Indies with a five-wicket win in Kolkata on Sunday to set up a semi-final against England.

Samson hit 12 fours and four sixes in his superb 50-ball knock in the winner-takes-all final Super Eights match to thrill a capacity 67,000 fans at a pulsating Eden Gardens.

After the West Indies smacked 70 off the last five overs to score 195-4 after being asked to bat, India lost two early wickets but were always up with the required rate.

READ MORE: South Africa beat plucky Zimbabwe ahead of New Zealand semi-final

Samson, opening for the second match in succession, led the way.

When India slipped to 41-2 Samson was joined by captain Suryakumar Yadav (18) and the pair added 58 for the third wicket.

Tilak Varma was next to join Samson and scored 27 off 15 before departing in the 15th over with the score 141-4 and India still needing 55.

Samson stood firm and though Hardik Pandya fell for 17 India reached the target with four balls to spare to spark celebrations and fireworks.

“It means the whole world to me,” Samson said. “Right from the day I started playing, started dreaming to play for the country, I think this is the day I was waiting for.”

Samson said he learned the art of finishing matches “from the greats like Virat Kohli, from Rohit Sharma.”

Jason Holder and Rovman Powell earlier put on an unbroken stand of 76 for the fifth wicket to help the West Indies set the defending champions a target of 196 to stay alive.

The West Indies sprang a surprise at the top of the order, promoting Test captain Roston Chase to open alongside T20 skipper Shai Hope.

That enabled them to bring in an extra spinner, Akeal Hosein, with regular opener Brandon King left out.

In their defeat to South Africa last week the West Indies slumped to 83-7 but the new-look opening partnership was more assured.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy got the first breakthrough, bowling Hope for a sluggish 32.

Shimron Hetmyer raced to 27 off 12 balls before falling to the faintest of edges off Jasprit Bumrah to make it 102-2.

After Chase fell for 40 and Sherfane Rutherford followed, Powell and Holder launched their brutal late assault.

Powell finished on 34 not out from 19 balls with two sixes and three fours while Holder was unbeaten on 37 off 22 balls with three sixes and two fours.

“Maybe a few short, especially on a chasing ground such as this,” said a disappointed Hope. “Probably could have gone a bit more at the end. Probably could have got more at the start as well.”

It could have been better for India but they dropped three regulation catches in a sloppy fielding display, including Chase when he had made just 15.

South Africa, the only unbeaten side in the tournament, beat Zimbabwe by five wickets earlier on Sunday and will face New Zealand in Kolkata in the first semi-final on Wednesday.

The final is in Ahmedabad next Sunday.