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Twenty-eight long years after that magical Indian summer in England, the Men in Blue are one victory away from proving that India is truly cricket’s superpower, not just commercially but also on the field.

India vs Pakistan Scorecard | Match in Pics | In Pics: Indian fans in Mohali

Special Coverage: India Pakistan Semi Final

One victory away from being world No.1 in ODIs, in addition to Tests. One victory away from giving the ultimate thank you gift to the greatest cricketer since Don Bradman, and a fitting farewell to a coach who has contributed so much to their rise. And one victory away from giving millions of young Indians born after 1983 - including several members of the present team - the joy of knowing what it actually feels like to have your squad lift the Cup that counts before your jubilant eyes. Kumar Sangakkara - Sanga to millions of fans - is waiting with his formidable Lankans. But so is the opportunity of a lifetime for Dhoni’s Daredevils. ( Read: For WC final, Wankhede a no-vehicle zone ) ( Read: After pubs, party spills onto Mumbai's streets )

India went into the semifinal against Pakistan as odds-on favourites, and for once the bookies had it right. The quality of cricket didn’t really live up to the occasion but the ebb and flow of emotions - from exuberance to unease to disappointment to hope to joy to sheer mad exultation - more than compensated. Wednesday’s win extends India’s record against Pakistan at the World Cup to 5-0. Some day, the law of averages will catch up, but not with history beckoning so alluringly.

It was supposed to be India’s batting vs Pakistan’s bowling but as often happens in cricket, things didn’t go according to script. The Indian innings got off to an explosive start, powered by Virender Sehwag, stuttered midway and finally lurched to a total - 260 - that could at best be described as fighting. Man of the match Sachin Tendulkar produced one of the patchiest innings of his stunning career, but its value became more and more apparent as the Pakistani innings steadily went into terminal decline.

The bowling, though, was a revelation. Defending 260 meant there was no scope for even a single bowler to have an off-day. No one did, with Zaheer, Munaf, Nehra, Harbhajan and Yuvraj all taking two wickets each. Incredibly, the first extra, a wide, came as late as the 37th over. Dhoni attacked throughout, the Men in Blue fielded with tigerish resolve and the bowlers never eased the pressure, even when Pakistan appeared to be cruising.

At the end of India’s innings, Pakistan would have fancied their chances. After a blistering start from Virender Sehwag that briefly raised visions of India crossing 350, Afridi’s men had succeeded in reining in India for 260 - a total that most pundits felt was at least 20 runs below par, given the small ground and fast outfield.

Umar Gul, supposed to be Pakistan’s spearhead, was taken to the cleaners, going wicketless and conceding 69 runs in 8 overs - the worst economy rate ever by a Pakistani bowler against India in a World Cup match. But young left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz rose to the occasion, taking 5 wickets for 46 - the best ever by a Pakistani against India at the World Cup.

Riaz, varying his pace intelligently, gave an excellent display of seam and swing as he struck at vital moments. He brought Sehwag’s blistering innings to a disappointingly premature end and then returned to dismiss Kohli. Yuvraj Singh walked in to a huge ovation from his home crowd. It turned into stunned silence as Riaz produced a full swinging delivery that crashed into Yuvi’s stumps.

For good measure, Riaz also got rid of Sachin Tendulkar. Afridi had vowed before the match that Pakistan wouldn’t let Tendulkar get his 100th international century but his teammates seemed bent on proving him wrong, generously offering chance after chance. Tendulkar struggled to pick Saeed Ajmal and was given out LBW but survived when he asked for a review. On the very next ball, the Pakistanis appealed for a stumping. Sachin was then dropped thrice off Afridi and once off Hafeez before Afridi finally caught him. It was perhaps fitting that Sachin’s 100th century didn’t come from such a flawed innings.

Sri Lanka entered the final of the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup with a five-wicket win over New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium here on Tuesday.

Chasing 217, Sri Lanka looked like a sure thing after a 120-run association between Tillakaratne Dilshan (73) and skipper Kumar Sangakkara (54) set it on the right path, but three quick wickets exposed its untested lower middle order to the guile of New Zealand.

With Thilan Samaraweera and Angelo Mathews in the middle, the co-host needed 22 off the last five overs, five wickets in hand and the mandatory batting Power Play in force. But Andy McKay, bowling the 46th over, hurled down a wide that scurried to the boundary, and in the next over, Mathews smote a six and a four off Tim Southee to prevent any more hiccoughs for the co-host, the victory finally achieved with 13 balls to spare.

Sensational pouch

Sri Lanka's first 50 runs came in 10.1 overs, but things slowed down when Jesse Ryder flew from point to take a sensational catch of Upul Tharanga. Dilshan discarded his initial caginess and deposited Jacob Oram for six over mid-wicket and reached his fifty in 71 balls.

Sangakkara followed suit, against Nathan McCullum's off-spin, stepping out and sending the ball soaring back over the bowler's head, a shot that took him past 400 runs in the tournament.

It was when Dilshan, Mahela Jayawardene and Sangakkara departed within nine runs of each other, and left Samaraweera and Chamara Silva to potter about for eight runs in five overs, that Kiwi hopes soared, and soared some more when Silva was bowled by Southee, 33 still required to win. But Mathews' precious cameo saw Sri Lanka home and into its second successive, and overall third, World Cup final.

Good stand

Earlier, New Zealand's 217 centred on one principal partnership — the 77-run stand between Scott Styris (57) and Ross Taylor (36) for the fourth wicket, but any aspirations to a bigger total were grounded as its last six wickets fell for 25 runs — the last four for four — against Sri Lanka's eclectic bowling attack. Although New Zealand gained 41 runs for the loss of two wickets in the batting Power Play (between overs 41.1 and 46) the conclusive thrust never came.

What did materialise were Malinga's three wickets — one every time the innings threatened to gain momentum — and the spinning out of the rest at the end.

The Kiwis began purposefully enough through Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill but the scoreboard stalled between the big hits.

Left-arm spinner Rangana Herath opened the bowling with Malinga and delivered the first breakthrough in the eighth over when McCullum (13, 21b), attempting to sweep, was beaten by the quicker one which clipped his off-stick.

In the 18th over, Muttiah Muralitharan, playing his last ODI on home soil, snapped up Ryder — the left-hander looking to play on the off-side, but edging to Sangakkara behind the stumps.

Malinga came back for his second spell and disturbed Guptill's furniture with a patented in-swinger.

Styris, now joined by Taylor, despatched two Malinga half-volleys to the fence as New Zealand's 100 came up in the 26th over, and then biffed two more fours off the same bowler in the 32nd.

Soon, Taylor pulled Ajantha Mendis down the throat of deep mid-wicket.

Styris got to his fifty with a gentle drive in the 41st over and Kane Williamson (22, 16b, 3x4) showed intent once the batting Power Play was taken, but Malinga returned and seared one into Williamson's pads to have New Zealand five-down in the 44th.

Nathan McCullum carted a six off Murali, only to be caught behind off a slower Malinga delivery in the next over. Murali marked his last ball on home soil with the wicket of Styris, the ball jagging back to hit the pads.

Styris opted for a review, but the on-field decision of ‘out' stood, giving the legendary off-spinner a fitting home finale.

AHMEDABAD: It was billed as the blockbuster and the quarterfinal, the second of the 2011 Cricket World Cup at the Sardar Patel Stadium at Motera on Thursday lived up to the expectations.

Blog: Can we beat Pak and some other questions

India survived a Ricky Ponting masterclass (104, 118 balls, 7x4, 1 x6) and some tense moments to beat four-time World Champions Australia by five wickets and 14 balls to spare to set up a potentially explosive clash with arch rivals Pakistan in Mohali on March 30.

The hosts rose to the occasion in style, first with a superb bowling and fielding effort, then the great master Sachin Tendulkar set the stage alight with glorious strokeplay to put the side on cruise mode before some quintessential Indian harakiri.

The Aussies sensing a chance changed colours, bowled with venom, sledged hard and even bled - Brett Lee getting a cut under his eye while fielding. They did it all but couldn't stop India from progressing.

There were many heroes for India as they set about their chase of 261, but Yuvraj Singh, yet again, emerged as the knight in shining armour coming up with a match-winning knock of unbeaten 57 runs besides picking up two wickets earlier. The effort earned the southpaw his fourth Man-of-the-match award in this World Cup.

Also rising to the challenge was young Suresh Raina with a gutsy unbeaten 34. Yuvraj and Raina realized 74 runs from 61 balls just when the Aussies had turned on the screws.

There was some intense drama before though courtesy a horrible mix-up between Gautam Gambhir (50; 64b, 7x4) and Yuvraj (their third in the span of five minutes) resulting in the run out of Gambhir. Yuvraj edged David Hussey to Cameron White at slip and even before Yuvraj could realize, Gambhir had dashed towards him from the non-striker's end and it was a point of no return.

Five overs earlier, Virat Kohli swatted a full toss straight down the throat of Michael Clarke at mid-wicket.

Skipper MS Dhoni cracked a thundering boundary, but another attempt off Lee saw Dhoni cut the bowler straight to Michael Clarke at point. The Indians had slid to 187 for 5 in 37.3 overs and seemed to be spoiling their own party till Yuvraj and Raina came into their own.

CHENNAI: The skeletons had started to tumble out of the cupboard when Zaheer Khan struck. Devon Smith got out, the brittle West Indian middle-order crumbled, and India glossed over the flaws with an 80-run victory.

Scorecard | Match in Pics

But along the course of the Chepauk struggle on Sunday evening, it was there for everyone to see that this Indian team is not in best shape.

The lottery of knock-outs beckon the co-hosts now and a couple of good days may still take India to the final, but on current form, it can be safe to say that Dhoni and Co. are definitely not the favourites in this tournament any more.

West Indies is a team desperately short of talent these days and the side they fielded on Sunday (without Kemar Roach and Chris Gayle) would have struggled against any decent opponent. But there was a time in the game when it seemed that India would face the humiliation of losing to this team as well, which had its last ODI win against a Test playing nation (barring Bangladesh) two years back.

Yes, there were a few positives. Yuvraj Singh (113 and 2-18) shone both with the bat and ball, Virat Kohli (59) looked impressive during his stay at the wicket, Ashwin showed the world that he is perfectly cut out for the big stage, but the basic flaws that are bothering this team have still not been ironed out.

The pace attack (barring an odd Zaheer spell) looked pedestrian and it never seemed that Munaf Patel could take a wicket. Add to that his fielding, which always puts India 15-short in the field. Had it not been for the wily, old Zaheer who brought all his experience into play ---India would probably have cut a sorry figure on Sunday.

Another huge trouble area for India is the batting PowerPlay. They struggled with it, despite holding it back till the 46th over. The hosts lost 28 runs losing four wickets and failed to bat out even the 50 overs.

Both Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina, who are fighting for the same slot, failed once again and Dhoni will have to spend sleepless nights pondering over his combination for the semifinal.

But then, the big plus emerging out of Sunday's 'practice match' before the quarterfinal clash against Australia is the form of Yuvi. He held the innings together, played some lovely shots on both sides of the wicket and took India to 268. With the ball too, he came up with a couple of crucial breakthroughs after Zaheer had struck.

He gave the ball a little bit of air and extracted some turn that fooled the likes of Andre Russell and Devon Thomas.

If Yuvi was the star of the show, Ashwin, too, showed that it won't be a bad option if the team management plays him in the quarterfinal. He was given the new ball and in the first six overs that he bowled, he gave away 18 runs. He got the carrom ball to work as well, getting Kirk Edwards plumb in front that went the other way.

But the likes of Darren Bravo, Smith (81) and Smith (39) did run India ragged for a while and there were murmurs in the ground whether India were looking to lose so that they can avoid Australia.