South Africa off-spinner Johan Botha took three wickets to lead his team to a 12-run win over India on Tuesday, their fifth World Twenty20 victory in a row.
The South Africans, already through to the semi-finals, denied eliminated India a consolation victory with another clinical performance despite only scoring a modest 130 for five.
They restricted India to 118 for eight thanks to excellent bowling from the spinners.
Defending champions India, who lost all three second-round matches to West Indies, England and South Africa, reached 48 without loss in the seventh over but then lost wickets regularly. Opener Rohit Sharma top-scored with 29.
Graeme Smith’s men will play Pakistan in Thursday’s semifinal at Nottingham. Sri Lanka and West Indies meet in the second semifinal at the Oval on Friday with a Lord’s final awaiting the winners on Sunday.
The South African slow bowlers strangled the Indian batsmen with Botha’s miserly figures matched by fellow spinner Roelof van der Merwe who took one for 14 from his four overs.
South Africa struggled in their innings.
Only AB de Villiers, with 63 from 51 deliveries, played the Indian bowlers with confidence, although Smith’s run-a-ball 26 gave the innings good early momentum.
South Africa rested Jacques Kallis, their top run-scorer in the competition, because of a sore back but he should return on Thursday. – Reuters