West Indies are the Second Finalists in World T20 2016

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West Indies 196/3 (19.4 Ovs)

A Russell  43 (20)

India 192/2

Kohli  1.4-0-15-1

West Indies won by 7 wkts

© Cricaction

That's that: West Indies vs England in the final

We can all talk about the dew but you have to admit, there was some poor bowling from the Indian team. However, this moment is all about the West Indies team. The players come running into the field. Kohli looks stunned. This was the same ground where 230 was chased down and credit to West Indies to pull this off even after losing Gayle early.

What an innings this turned out to be from Simmons. He was ruled out of the tournament even before it started. He recovered well to propel the team into the final.

"I slept over the flight [referring to his jet lag]. I got a call in the morning after the Afghanistan game to come over, if I am fit. I came under pressure and had come here for a reason - to deliver and I delivered. I enjoy batting here. The fast outfield also helps. Yes [rating it as one of his best innings]. In a tough situation. I didn't play in the final [World T20 2012] in Sri Lanka and I almost missed out on this one. 180-190 is a par score and with the power-hitters we have, the guys believed we could chase it. I got three chances and things went my way and I cashed in," says Simmons.

India, on the other hand, just about survived in the tournament. The game against Bangladesh, the game against Australia. They weren't clinical and were beaten by a much better side on the day. Make no mistake. Even though they weren't firing to full potential, they did well to keep the hopes of a billion people alive. Virat Kohli was exceptional. Ashish Nehra's return so far has been inspirational and Jasprit Bumrah's performance promises a lot.

Eight needed in the last over

Game over for the hosts. West Indies have blown the hosts away with this performance. India have to think that they gave away this match with several lives to Lendl Simmons and he made the most of it.

Bumrah bowled out; 20 needed off 12 now

Ashwin and Jadeja to bowl the last two overs with a wet ball on a pitch that's offering no help to them. Have to say, excellent start to the over from Bumrah. He started with three dot balls - all slower deliveries. However, Simmons again got lucky and got six runs off a miss hit that was caught at long-on. Jadeja stepped onto the rope before releasing the ball. 12 runs off the last three balls.

Earlier in the day, West Indies women defended 143 to enter the final. The men's team has chased down a massive total and deservingly enter the final.

42 off last four

West Indies are now running away with this game. Just above ten runs per over needed now and Simmons is doing all the damage today. Nehra to bowl the crucial 17th over.

How on earth can this happen?

This is the second time India have got a wicket off a no ball. Full toss outside off and played straight to cover. It wasn't a high full toss but Pandya over steps. What does Simmons do with the free hit? Sends it soaring way over cow corner. India have only themselves to blame today. First Ashwin and then Pandya. West Indies now favourites to take this game away from India. 55 needed off the last five overs.

Virat Kohli!!!!!!!

Virat Kohli the magician turns up and gets a wicket for his side just when it was needed. Length ball on the stumps, Charles looks to hoick it over long-off, gets the bottom of the bat and lobs an easy catch to Rohit. With Jadeja and Pandya struggling, MS Dhoni had to turn to someone else. What a move this! Certainly swings it a bit towards India.

West Indies need 109 off 60

Ten overs are done at the Wankhede and India slightly ahead at the moment. Make no mistake, this game is far from over. There's a lot of dew, there's not much turn and Simmons and Charles are turning the heat on the hosts. India after ten overs were 87 for 1 and West Indies are ahead at the moment. Bowlers are finding it difficult to grip the ball well. Tense finish on the cards.

50-run stand

There's a fair bit of dew out there. Pressure on Ashwin. A six and a four in the last over, Charles and Simmons have now brought the innings back on track. India need to keep chipping away. Required rate has climbed over 11 runs per over. West Indies 72 for 2 after nine overs.

Uh, oh!: Wicket off a no ball!

What a big break this for West Indies and Lendl Simmons. It was short and wide, Simmons slashed at that one and Bumrah took a good diving catch at short third man. Ashwin oversteps. Not a big no ball but the foot was not even touching the line. West Indies 52 for 2 after seven overs.

Powerplay done

The second innings has progressed rapidly so far. West Indies have lost two and the onus will now be on Lendl Simmons, who knows a fair bit about this venue, to get the innings back on track. Kohli had six dots in his entire innings (47 balls).Johnson Charles has seven already in his 14 balls and that won't help at all. West Indies are 44 for 2 after six overs.

R Ashwin to bowl!

And one more

There's enough nip in the pitch and the Indian bowlers are making the most of it. It's Nehra this time and Samuels has been dismissed. I would love to read Samuels' mind. Or would appoint someone to do so. Wonder what goes through his head. Sometimes I wonder, he himself must know. He is such a talent, an enigma but he often flatters to deceive. He single-handedly destroyed Sri Lanka in 2012 helping his side win the final, but has often played poor shots to get out. This is a rank bad shot. Why do you show all three stumps and expect to get away with it every ball. You can't. Here he doesn't. Backs away to leg, Nehra deceives him with a slower delivery, chipped to cover for the easiest of catches. He should've defended or gone with power. Did neither and offered a dolly.

West Indies 19 for 2 after three overs.

That's that for Gayle: BOWLED!!!

Everyone was waiting for the contest between Gayle and Ashwin. Instead, Dhoni brings Bumrah in and that does the trick. Low full toss on off stump, Gayle fails to connect and has to make the long walk back. Perfect start for India. Just in the afternoon there was a discussion about how Gayle fails to turn up in the big matches and we can add another big game to that list.

West Indies 14 for 1 after two overs.

Good start from Nehra

Nehra was on the money and there was nothing given to Gayle. The first one was wide but the burly left-hander was happy to leave it away. Gayle survived a close call when an inside edge went past the stumps. Just one delivery pulled back a touch and he pulled it wide of square leg. Apart from that one boundary, nothing for Gayle to work with.

West Indies six for no loss after the first over.

The team's huddle is done. The Indian players sprint to the middle, Johnson Charles on strike and Chris Gayle is with him as usual. Ashish Nehra to start with the ball and we are all set to rock and roll.

From the statsman

India have failed to defend a 190-plus total just once. It was against South Africa in Dharamsala last year.

Top effort: India end with 192 for 2

India have got the runs on the board in a big match. Can West Indies chase this down? A lot will depend on the start and Gayle.

Another stellar performance from Virat Kohli. He ends unbeaten on a 47-ball 89. It was all set up by Rohit Sharma's blitz at the top. Rahane did well to ensure Kohli had enough support in the middle overs and Dhoni came in the end to ensure the runs kept flowing.

Badree bowled well to end with 1 for 26 but the rest of the bowlers gave away runs at more than nine runs per over.

50 for Kohli

The crowd have done their bit and India's best batsman has delivered. Third of the tournament. His team-mates are up on their feet. Few in the crowd are bowing to the champion. Kohli reaches his half-century off 33 balls and ensures India are 150 for 2 after 17 overs. How many can they accumulate in the last three overs?

600 runs for Virat Kohli as well in 2016 - no one else has scored even 500 in a year in T20Is.Next best - 472 by Guptill in 2012.

Rahane falls

West Indies needed this but with the likes of Pandya and Dhoni to come, not too sure if they'll get any breather now. Rahane wanted to go for the big one. MS Dhoni has walked out to help India end with a flourish. Fresh legs as well so he'll push Kohli as well. Make no mistake, Kohli is in no mood to rest. He's up for the challenge as well.

Rahane dismissal - Short delivery and Rahane fetched the pull from outside off, seemed to have nailed it. Looked like it was sailing over the deep mid-wicket fence, but not to be as Bravo settled under that and took it inches before the rope. It had plenty of air time, but not the distance.

India eye late flourish

The hosts have done well to lose just one wicket and with five overs left, they can now push on for a late onslaught. Both Virat and Rahane have run exceptionally well but will eye big hits now. West Indies have finished both spinners off now so it's all on the pacers to restrict India to a healthy score.

Virat is on 40 off 27 while Rahane is on 40 off 37.India 127 for 1 after 15 overs.

What's happening?

West Indies had two chances to run Virat Kohli out. They've missed both.

Third ball of the Bravo over - Kohli failed to connect to a free hit and took off for an non existent single. First Ramdin missed and then Bravo missed. Both easy chances. The yorker that dipped on the batsman and bounced past the stumps. Kohli was keen for a run, Rahane said no, Ramdin had enough to knock the stumps out, Bravo rushed forward and tried to under-arm the ball, but both missed by a whisker.

The very next ball - Schoolboy stuff from Ramdin. Slower delivery outside off stump, Kohli inside edges the flick towards backward square leg and races back for the second run, the throw comes close to the stumps, but Ramdin fumbles and Kohli was short despite a full length dive.

Next ball - Kohli gets an outside edge and the ball races to the third man fence. He's pumped. He clenches his fist and lets Bravo know that he's up for a fight. The West Indies bowler, in return, offers a smile.

Nerves there surely but fortunately for India no damage done.

© Cricaction

Big wicket: Rohit falls

This is a crucial wicket. Rohit was looking set for a big one but Badree has trapped him in front. Pushed through a bit and no turn at all. Hits Rohit in the back leg and it looked close. Given as well. West Indies needed this especially after the start India got.

However, now another stern test start. Virat Kohli has walked out to bat at No. 3.

© Cricaction

Openers picking up pace: 

West Indie haven't been able to get the early crucial breakthrough and the Indian openers are now slowly and steadily ensuring the Indian fans have something to cheer about. A high full toss, which was a no ball, was deposited over square leg by Rohit. He then hammered the free hit way over long-on. Rahane too is playing his part really well here. He knows Rohit is going well and all he is doing it rotating strike.

Rohit has raced to a 26-ball 41. India after the Powerplay are 55 for no loss. Have to say. This is a really good start.

Benn to bowl

Interesting from West Indies. Four over, four different bowlers. Sulieman Benn into the attack. Have to say this has been a cautious start from India. Make no mistake, they haven't gone into their shell. They are putting away the bad balls. The running has been impressive as well. They want to keep wickets in hand and set a platform for the likes of Pandya, Raina, Dhoni and Pandey. Rohit on 21, his highest score of the tournament. India are 26 for no loss after four overs.

Rohit has had enough

West Indies are shuffling the bowlers but Rohit has had enough. Carlos Brathwaite into the attack and hammered over wide long-on for the first six of the game. One good thing, he isn't going slam bang, takes a single after getting the boundary. Nine off the over and India are 15 for no loss.

Badree into the attack

In all 27 matches he has played, Samuel Badree has opened the bowling for West Indies. Here he is giving nothing away to the batsmen. Full and flat, not much turn but no room to play the shots. India haven't raced away with this game yet. Just six for no loss after the first two overs.

Good start from Andre Russell

Have to say, Russell got away with the first ball of the match. It was full and on the pads. Rohit, understandably cautious on the first ball, played it to mid wicket with soft hands. But he came back very well and there was no room at all for Rohit to open up his arms. Just two off the first over.

All set then: 

Alright then, the national anthems are done. Rohit Sharma is on strike, we have Ajinkya Rahane joining him for the all-important clash, Andre Russell will start with the ball for West Indies and we are all set for the cracking contest to begin.

'India jeetega (India will win)' chants are on already.

This is it. From here, 22 players will battle it out to take on England in the final in Kolkata. Who will prevail? For that we'll have to wait but one thing is for sure, this is going to be a cracker.

Gayle is going to be key for West Indies. Well that's stating the obvious really. He hasn't enjoyed much success against Ashwin but the last time he played at the Wankhede, he blew England away with an unbeaten 48-ball century. One thing is for sure, India will give him a heavy dose of spin.

India need Rohit and Shikhar to fire in unison today. Virat has done all the scoring and some support for him will help the team a lot. Raina too needs to come up with an impactful innings.

Just imagine the pressure on Ajinkya Rahane and Manish Pandey. Rahane warmed the bench and has now been asked to perform in the crucial clash. Pandey wasn't even in the squad and joined the team two days back. There will be a few nerves for sure.

Coming to West Indies, it shouldn't be all about Gayle. They need Bravo, Russell and Sammy to join the party on the field if they want to be doing the Champion dance later tonight.

© Cricaction

Almost time

The teams are out there for the national anthem. Rally round the West Indies first and then the Indian national anthem. Both captains lead their teams out. Tense faces as well in the crowd, in the teams. Wankhede is buzzing already!

Here's a look at some of the pictures from the venue:

© Getty

© Cricaction

This is the day for Ajinkya Rahane and Manish Pandey to show what they can pull off at the big stage. All speculations have been laid to rest whether it will be Rahane or Pandey. No Negi, no Harbhajan. Both are playing and it'll be important they click for India's chances.

Toss: West Indies opt to bowl

Darren Sammy has won the toss and the Windies will bowl first. Simmons replaces the injured Andre Fletcher and Chris Gayle is back after skipping their previous game. The big news though is both Rahane and Pandey are playing tonight which means Dhawan has faced the axe.

West Indies (Playing XI): Johnson Charles, Chris Gayle, Marlon Samuels, Lendl Simmons, Denesh Ramdin(w), Dwayne Bravo, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy(c), Carlos Brathwaite, Samuel Badree, Sulieman Benn

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Jasprit Bumrah.

Build up: 

The stage is set for the big game at a big venue that has seen a lot of runs recently. India's batsmen barring Virat Kohli need exactly this to get their rhythm back but then again this is a high-pressure game. It has been billed as a contest between Chris Gayle and Kohli but there are plenty of other match-winners in both camps and they would look to step up tonight.

Yuvraj's injury is a blow and the team management is looking at various options before taking the final call. The other ten players will be picking themselves up for this encounter. For West Indies though, Lendl Simmons might slot in straight away. Darren Sammy has been highlighting that this could well be the last World Cup for this current group of players and they would love to go out with a bang.

Cooper, Taylor take sprightly West Indies into maiden Women's World T20 final

West Indies players celebrating after the win. © Cricaction

West Indies Women broke their semifinal jinx with a convincing six-run victory over heavyweights New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday (March 31) to march into the final of the ICC Women's World Twenty20 2016.

Britney Cooper led the batting with a quickfire 48-ball 61, inclusive of five hits to the fence and two over it, and later, captain Stafanie Taylor sparked a middle-order collapse in New Zealand's chase as West Indies, who were knocked out by the same opposition in their first semifinal appearance back in 2010, sealed a spot in what would be their maiden final, against arch nemesis and three-time champions Australia.

Whether it was a wise decision to bowl first on a wicket laden with runs will be debated for a while but Suzie Bates's move to start with spin produced results as soon as in the third over when Morna Neilsen provided an early breakthrough with the wicket of Hayley Matthews. Umpire Nigel Llong took less than a fraction of a second to raise his finger when, in her attempt to flick one across the line, Matthews missed her shot completely and was trapped plumb in front.

Lea Tahuhu, operating from other end, wasn't spared by either of the batters though. While it was Matthews who picked up 11 off her first over, Taylor hit her for 10 in the next before the right-arm pacer was taken off the attack.

Cooper, the new bat, showed little respect towards the tournament's most successful bowler - Leigh Kasperek welcoming her into the attack with a couple of lofted cover drives off alternate deliveries to finish the powerplay with 40 for the loss of Mathews's wicket.

Legspinner Erin Bermingham, another one of the influential bowlers in New Zealand's ranks, was handed the same treatment. Cooper, who switched on the attack mode right form the word go, raised the fifty of the partnership with Taylor with a third-man boundary.

Running out of options, Bates introduced her deputy, Sophie Devine, into the attack who produced the breakthrough New Zealand desperately needed when Taylor, attempting a premeditated pull, fell after losing balance to give away the easiest of catches to Katey Perkins at midwicket when on 25.

Just like their previous game last group match against South Africa it was Devine's two-over spell in the death that tilted the balance in New Zealand's favour when West Indies looked set to post a challenging total in the vicinity of 160. Devine managed to put the brakes on with twin strikes in the 18th over dismissing both the set batters to end a game-changing 44-run stand for the third wicket. First to go was Dottin (20 off 17 balls) who lost her leg stump as Devine deceived the destructive batter with a slower one. A couple of wides followed but Cooper (61) gave away a thick outside edge behind the stumps off the penultimate ball to end a rather successful over for New Zealand.

Three balls in to the final over, Stacy-Ann King departed trying to accelerate, giving Devine her fourth wicket in the match An accurate throw from Perkins at the keeper's end ensured Shemaine Campbelle was run out off the final delivery, looking for the non-existent second, to keep West Indies to 143 for 6 from their quota of overs.

New Zealand's chase of 144 didn't get off to the greatest of starts. The top three Bates, Rachael Priest and Devine who have done the bulk of scoring so far in their campaign were back in the hut for less than 50 on the board.

Shamilia Connell got the better of Priest (6) when the batter tried to loft one over midwicket but failed to connect and lost her offstump in the process. No. 3 bat Devine got off the mark with consecutive hits to the fence in the same over, and two more off Dottin's first over.

At the end of poweplay, New Zealand were going at a comfortable seven-an-over but lost the plot soon after. The deputy did the bulk of scoring in her quickfire 32-run alliance with skipper Bates but was found miles short of her crease as Dottin aimed directly at the non striker's to end her 14-ball cameo of 22. Bates was batting on 5 when Matthews, in the sixth over of the chase, couldn't hold on to a tough return catch off her own bowling despite a stunning one-handed attempt to her left.

The captain failed to make the most of it as Afy Fletcher opened her account in the very first over, and the burden of a tall chase fell on the middle-order which has not had an ideal exposure going into the semifinals.

Amy Satterthwaite and Sara McGlashan got the partnership going to keep New Zealand in the hunt. Satterthwaite brought up the 100 with a pull off Matthews but the pressure of a mounting required run-rate got the better of the duo. Leading from front, it was Taylor who got rid of both the set batters off consecutive deliveries. Satterthwaite attempted to clear the deep midwicket fence but hit it straight to Campbelle, putting an end to the 59-run partnership, and McGlashan tried to loft it over cover but found the same fielder.

The lower-order failed to revive the chase as Quintyne got Perkin and Taylor finished off the four-over quota with the third wicket of Kasperek. Dottin gave away 12 in the final over but sealed a date with defending champions Australia in the final to be played at Eden Gardens.

The ladies have done it, can the men too?

Brief scores: West Indies Women 143/6 in 20 overs (Staphanie Taylor 25, Britney Cooper 61; Sophie Devine 4-22) beat New Zealand Women 137/8 in 20 overs (Sara McGlashan 38, Amy Satterthwaite 24; Staphanie Taylor 3-26) by six runs.

England's performance will earn new fans, reckons Jason Roy

Jason Roy smashed 11 fours and two sixes in his 44-ball knock of 78. © Cricaction

It must be a huge occasion for someone like Jason Roy. He wasn't the one who was expected to carry England through to the final of the ICC World Twenty20, 2016. There were the other superstars in the batting line-up whose reputation had overshadowed Roy's coming into the tournament. But it was he who had gotten them off to a blazing start against South Africa in a massive run-chase and made another useful contribution against Sri Lanka as well.

The run-chase against South Africa, in particular, kick-started England's run of victories in the tournament and a fourth straight win has put them in the final now.Unlike the South Africa game where England were almost down and out by the end of the first innings, here they actually went into the innings break with a lot of momentum, and it was a fact that wasn't missed by Roy.

"The momentum that we carried over from the end of their innings to ours was outstanding. They've (Jordan and Stokes) grown in confidence from the Sri Lanka performance. It was just perfect," Roy said, at the end of the semifinal at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi on Wednesday (March 30).

England weren't one of the sides chalked in to reach the final by many at the start of the tournament, but here they are now. Roy hopes that the performances so far earns them a lot more fans.

"We're that sort of a side. We've had a lot of negative feedback from a few people, and to be in a World Cup final now has hopefully got a few people on our side. There's been a huge amount of support all tournament from back home and around the world. So thanks to all those people," a clearly chuffed Roy said.

Roy, who was a relatively unknown entity before the game says his batting philosophy is a simple one - "watch the ball, hit the ball if it's in my area".

Clearly Roy, and England themselves, are riding a crest at the moment. With just one game to go, Roy says they aren't trying to think of the final, but also stressed on how big an occasion it will be.

"We're getting better with every game. It's just another game of cricket. It just happens to be at Eden Gardens in the World Cup final in front of 100,000 people. It's going to be an incredible experience, but we're going to go out there and play our natural way, play the brand of cricket we've played for the last year or so," he said.

Duminy's absence hurt South Africa's balance at World T20: Mickey Arthur

JP Duminy suffered a hamstring injury in South Africa's second match against Afghanistan © Cricaction

After another major tournament failure, South Africa continue to be haunted by the ghosts of the past and are struggling to deal with the suffocating pressure of being branded chronic underachievers, according to Mickey Arthur, the former South Africa coach.

South Africa came into the World T20 as one of the favourites, boasting a formidable team marked by a slew of superstars. They started confidently, posting a mammoth 229 in Mumbai in their opener, only for England to astonishingly run down the target with two balls to spare. 

A tight loss to the West Indies in Nagpur ended their campaign and consigned South Africa to more misery in a major championship. South Africa is the only major cricket country to not contest a final of the ODI World Cup or World T20. 

South Africa has been a powerhouse since readmission but have not claimed a major title since winning the Champions Trophy's inaugural event in 1998. They have lost 10 semifinals since 1992. Once they enter the knockout stages, it has become inevitable that South Africa will buckle under the adversity. 

However, South Africa couldn't even reach the knockout round of the World T20, exiting ingloriously at the Super 10 stage after a series of bumbled performances where they misfired and lacked cohesion. 

Arthur, who coached South Africa during a successful five-year reign from 2005-2010, believed the Proteas struggled for confidence after their defeat to England. "To be unable to defend 229 was the worst possible start for South Africa and put them under the pump immediately," he said. "They never had a complete game and would be bitterly disappointed with their campaign."

Arthur, whose coaching stint with South Africa included semifinal appearances at the 2007 ODI World Cup and 2009 World T20, said the scarring from yesteryear continued to hinder South Africa at major tournaments. "Until they can win a World Cup, South Africa will always have this burden," he said. 

"There is no doubt the continual disappointments over the years linger over the team and is having an impact on the group. I sensed it when I was coach and we just couldn't get over the line despite being close."

South Africa seemingly boasted enough firepower and match-winning players to make a serious challenge for the title but the loss of all-rounder JP Duminy, who suffered a hamstring injury in the team's second match against Afghanistan, proved fatal, according to Arthur.

"Duminy's absence affected the balance of the team. He would have been pretty handy against the West Indies," he said. "But I think they didn't get their combinations right and didn't seem to know where to best use AB de Villiers. I always felt that AB is best at the end because South Africa needed a finisher. David Miller plays that role but he is erratic. The bowling I thought lacked variations and really struggled."

Much of the spotlight has shone on ageing superstar Dale Steyn, who was dropped after being pummelled by Jason Roy and Alex Hales - England's explosive openers - to finish with the macabre figures of 0-35 from 2 overs. 

Many are speculating that Steyn's T20I career is over but the 32-year-old has remained non-committal over his future. Arthur reckoned it was the right time for Steyn to retire from T20Is and concentrate on Test career.

"Dale has been an unbelievable bowler for so long but he is getting older and is starting to struggle in this format," he said. "I still think he has a lot to offer in Test cricket and that should be his priority now. South Africa need to start going in a new direction in terms of their T20 future."

Stats: New Zealand suffer eighth semis loss

England entered the final of World T20 for the second time © Cricaction

After storming into the semifinals with four wins in as many matches in the Super 10 stage, the New Zealand juggernaut finally came to an end at Feroz Shah Kotla on Wednesday (March 30), thanks to the scintillating innings by Jason Roy. Once again semifinals proved to be the Achilles heel for New Zealand. Here are a few numbers from their seven-wicket loss to England in the first semifinal of the World Twenty20, 2016.

New Zealand have now lost eight of their nine semifinals in World Cups across formats. Their only win came against South Africa last year at Auckland in the semifinals of World Cup 2015.

This is the second time that England have entered a World T20 final, after 2010. They have joined India as the only teams to possess a 100% win record in the semifinals of World T20.

Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson have become the second pair to aggregate 1000 runs in T20Is after David Warner and Shane Watson. They have batted together 19 times and have a staggering average of 56.22 per partnership.

The wicket of Martin Guptill was David Willey's 100th in his T20 career. He has played 103 T20s till date.

Kane Williamson scored 123 runs in five matches in this World T20, at a strike rate of 105. In the five matches prior to the tournament this year, he had scored 260 runs with three fifties and a strike rate of 127.

Ben Stokes recorded his best bowling figures in T20 matches - 3-26. His previous best was 2-14 for Durham against Leicestershire at Chester-le-Street in July 2012.

New Zealand scored just 32 runs in their last five overs of batting. In this World T20, it is the second lowest by a Test-playing nation in the last five overs of the match where the full five overs were batted. South Africa scored 31 against West Indies at Nagpur, which is the lowest.

New Zealand scored 89 runs in their first ten overs for the loss of a solitary wicket, while in the next ten they could manage only 64 runs and lost seven wickets.

Jason Roy hit four fours in the first over of the innings bowled by Corey Anderson. This was the second time in as many chases in this World T20 that he managed the feat. He had hit four fours off Kagiso Rabada of South Africa in Mumbai.

Roy's fifty off 26 balls is the second fastest for England in a World T20 after Eoin Morgan's 25-ball fifty against West Indies at Pallekele in 2012.

Roy's 78 is the second-highest score in a World T20 semifinal after Tillakaratne Dilshan's 96* against West Indies at the Oval in 2009.

The 82-run opening-stand between Alex Hales and Jason Roy is the second-highest for England in World T20s after 102 by Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright against Netherlands in the opening match of the 2009 edition at Lord's.

67-0 by England in the powerplay is their second highest in a World T20 match. They had scored 89-3 against South Africa in Mumbai earlier in this tournament.

Eoin Morgan became the second captain after William Porterfield to bag two golden ducks in World T20 matches. He was also dismissed for a duck off the first ball against Afghanistan at the same venue.

In the 7.1 overs bowled by the New Zealand spinners in the match, they conceded 70 runs at an economy rate touching ten. In the four matches in the Super 10 stage, they had conceded at the rate of 5.12 runs per over.

In their four games in the Super 10, New Zealand conceded just six boundaries (two fours & four sixes) between overs 16 to 20. In the 13 balls bowled today, they conceded the same number of boundaries (three fours & three sixes).

England now have nine wins against New Zealand - the joint-most for them against a particular opposition. They also have nine wins against Pakistan in T20Is. For New Zealand, it is the second-most number of defeats against a team after ten losses against South Africa.

New Zealand have batted first in all their five games this World T20. This was their first loss after six consecutive wins - the longest winning run they had in T20Is.

New Zealand media rue loss to 'Frankenstein' England

New Zealand players celebrate a wicket during the semifinal against England. © Cricaction

New Zealand media have likened Eoin Morgan's England team to the Frankenstein's monster, saying they turned the Black Caps' own game plan against them to win the World Twenty20 semifinal on Wednesday (March 30).

While acknowledging England were the better team and deserved the seven-wicket win in New Delhi, New Zealand pundits said the seeds of the result were sown when the sides met in Wellington last year in the 2015 World Cup.

In that match, eventual finalists New Zealand trounced England by eight wickets, prompting Morgan's men to review their style and emulate their opponent's aggressive tactics.

"There was an element of Frankenstein to New Zealand's departure from the Twenty20 World Cup," Fairfax New Zealand's Duncan Johnstone wrote.

"This was an England team that the Black Caps turned into a monster. And the monster came back to destroy them."

The New Zealand Herald's Andrew Alderson said England also mimicked New Zealand by taking the emotion out of their cricket, delivering "a clinical dissection which wouldn't have looked amiss in an operating theatre".

"If the Black Caps could be deemed 'the masters', their apprentices trumped them," he wrote.

He added that "England have morphed into a side with swagger and chutzpah", since their Wellington humiliation, rating them a good chance of winning the decider on Sunday (April 3) against either India or the West Indies.

Johnstone said the heavy loss was a "limp" end to a campaign that saw New Zealand cruise through the group stages undefeated, including wins over Australia, India and Pakistan.

The New Zealanders have shown they can advance deep into limited-overs tournaments but are yet to reach the next level and win a 50-over or T20 World Cup. However, Williamson proved himself an able captain for the post-Brendon McCullum era and the promising young spin duo of Ish Sodhi and Mitchell Santner excelled.

Simon Doull, the former New Zealand fast bowler, said Williamson's men exceeded expectations, finally showing they could play in Indian conditions, and should not be judged too harshly.

"We've had a good tournament and adapted to conditions really well, I don't think this is a failure," he told Radio Sport.

"Today's game will be disappointing, but if you'd told me at the start of the tournament that we'll go there and make the semifinals of the T20 World Cup on the sub-continent, I'd have said 'no way'."

Shane Warne blasts Australia T20 team selections

Warne feels Khawaja should have batted at number three. © Cricaction

Shane Warne has criticised Australia's line-ups at the ICC World Twenty20 saying that the "wrong" choices were responsible for the team crashing out in the group stages. Steve Smith's team were knocked out by India in a do-or-die showdown in Mohali on Sunday (March 27), leaving their hopes of winning their first World T20 trophy once again in tatters.

"First of all, our selection was wrong in my opinion," Warne told cricket.com.au on Thursday (March 31).

"I don't think we got that right, we messed around with it too much rather than sticking with what's been a proven formula and we probably didn't play well enough, which is the brutal truth."

Warne said Usman Khawaja should have batted at No.3 and the opening pair Aaron Finch and David Warner should not have been broken up.

"I don't think they should have broken up Finch and Warner and I think it upset the balance of the team," Warne said, adding that their partnership would have been an "intimidatory factor before a ball was bowled".

"Those two guys had been batting together for a long time, they have done well in Twenty20, they've done well in one-day cricket, and suddenly they got split up.

"And I just would never, ever have left Aaron Finch out... It's not to say they didn't worry about Khawaja, but I just think the other two are more destructive."

The spin legend also queried Josh Hazlewood's selection over all-rounder John Hastings for Australia's final two matches.

"I just think because we had so much talent in our team and so much skill, they (Australia's selectors) thought 'it doesn't matter what the combinations are we're still going to do OK', but it wasn't to be," he added.

India face the West Indies in the second semifinal on Thursday for the chance to play Eoin Morgan's England team in the final on Sunday (April 3) in Kolkata.

West Indies look to break semifinal jinx against in-form New Zealand

New Zealand will start as favourites in the big match. © Cricaction

High on confidence after finishing unbeaten in their group, New Zealand will start as favourites against West Indies who would be looking to break their semifinal jinx when the two teams face off in the second semifinal of the 2016 ICC Women's World Twenty20 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday (March 31).

New Zealand have hardly put a foot wrong since the main round kicked in. The Kiwis topped Group A with a cent percent record, having defeated all - Sri Lanka, Ireland, Australia and South Africa - by comprehensive margins to cruise into the semifinals rather comfortably. Their opponents, West Indies, on the other hand, have had a roller-coaster ride with three of their four games seeing a tight finish. Having said that, West Indies' strength lies in their bowling attack. The fact that they have successfully defended two low totals - 103 and 114 - against quality teams like Pakistan and India respectively, and nearly clinched the third one against Group B table-toppers England, would give them confidence going into the semifinal.

Form and history backs New Zealand though. In their last ten T20I encounters, New Zealand have emerged victorious on nine occasions, including a morale-boosting 2-1 series win against defending champions Australia at home in the lead-up to the tournament. In their only encounter against West Indies in the World T20 semis, New Zealand crushed the hosts' best chance by a massive 56-run margin to set up a clash with eventual winners Australia in the 2010 edition. West Indies, in fact, have made it to all three semifinals since then, but are yet to make a final appearance in the mega event.

Batting responsibilities have largely been shouldered by captain Stafanie Taylor and Deandra Dottin, but spin has been the most potent weapon for West Indies. Having accounted for 21 of the 33 wickets that fell in their four league games, their spin attack has been the best in this tournament.

New Zealand, on the other hand, have been reliant on their power-hitters. Captain Suzie Bates, with 171 runs, is only behind her English counterpart Charlotte Edwards (202) on the tournament's best run-scorers' list, with vice-captain Sophie Devine and co-opener Rachel Priest giving her support. Offspinner Leigh Kasperek, their Scottish import, has been the tournament's most successful bowler with 9 scalps.

Going by what has emerged so far, it would be fair to state that the second semifinal would be a clash between a quality spin attack and some mighty power hitters to decide whether West Indies make it to their first final or New Zealand get their third chance at creating history.

When: New Zealand Women vs West Indies Women, Semifinal 2, March 31 at 14:30 IST

Where: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

What to expect: Bright and sunny afternoon with a high of 34 degrees, and a typical T20 batter-friendly track

Team News

New Zealand

New Zealand have not tampered with their playing XI since their second league game against Ireland and are likely to field the same on the flat track at Wankhede.

West Indies

No injury concerns in the West Indies camp either. The three-time semifinalists have a full strength squad to pick from.

What they said

"Today in the meeting after training, I actually said that this is the fourth time we are in the semifinals but this time around it is not actually against Australia, so that's maybe a plus for us. We definitely want to cross this barrier. We've been here so many times to know how to approach it. Today in training the vibes were fantastic and that's what I want to see going into tomorrow's game. We just hope that we can put our best foot forward and go with all the heart," Stafanie Taylor, West Indies captain on the team's semifinal hurdle.

"As the coach of the side, I've picked players that can suit the style of cricket that we want to play. Like the men, we're looking to play attractive, aggressive style and certainly, we've got players who can do that, whether with bat, ball or on the field. It's about not only doing the basics well, but also expressing ourselves and allowing the girls to be free. As Kiwis, we're a sporty nation, we get inspired by being out and playing any sport, to be honest. We're here to do a job and I really want the girls to express themselves. For some players, it's not about hitting over the top. It's more about finesse and accessing areas of the ground in their style. We've got players who can put up a good total, or defend a good total. I certainly encourage the girls to express themselves. We're not looking too far ahead. We've got a job to do, and both teams are back to zero. We're really excited at the opportunity of playing tomorrow," Haidee Tiffen, New Zealand head coach, on their aggressive style of game.

Did you know?

New Zealand Women lead West Indies Women 8-3 in 13 head-to-head encounters. One game was a tie while the other was washed out.

New Zealand captain Suzie Bates is the second highest run-scorer in this World T20 with 171 runs under her belt.

Bates' 82 against Ireland at Mohali is the highest score of the 2016 Women's World T20 so far.

West Indies spinners have taken 21 wickets in the tournament so far - the most by a team.

Leigh Kasperek of New Zealand is the leading wicket-taker of the tournament with nine scalps.

The semifinal at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is the first Women's World T20 game at the venue this season. In the three men's games played here in this edition, the average run rate is 10.22

Squads

New Zealand: Erin Bermingham, Suzie Bates (C), Felicity Leydon-Davis, Katey Martin, Morna Nielsen, Anna Peterson, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu, Sophie Devine, Leigh Kasperek, Sara McGlashan,Thamsyn Newton, Katie Perkins, Rachel Priest, Amy Satterthwaite

West Indies: Stafanie Taylor (C), Merissa Aguilleira, Shamilia Connell, Deandra Dottin, Stacy-Ann King, Kyshona Knight, Anisa Mohammed, Tremayne Smartt, Shakera Selman, Shemaine Campbelle, Britney Cooper, Afy Fletcher, Kycia Knight, Hayley Matthews, Shaquana Quintyne

Stokes, Roy hand New Zealand knockout punch

Jason Roy's quick-fire half-century helped England enter the World T20 final for the second time © Cricaction

Little did one expect for the first semi-final in Delhi on Wednesday (March 30) to be a one-sided one. That England's batting was power-packed was well known, but New Zealand packed a punch as well. They had entered the knockout stages unbeaten and were certainly the in-form side. But England's weaker suit - the bowlers - did superbly to restrict New Zealand to just 153 despite a rousing start. That triggered confidence in the Eoin Morgan-led side, which appeared pretty deflated when Colin Munro was going hammer and tongs. When they walked out for the innings break, England had a spring in their step. They were now chasing down a total of at least 30 lesser than what was expected at the halfway stage. That confidence was carried forward by the excellent Jason Roy who did not let New Zealand have a breather in the first six overs of the contest.

He started with four fours in just the first over bowled by Corey Anderson and continued to go after all the pacers with elan. After a series of cuts, he also brought out the drives straight down the ground and whips off his hips to put New Zealand under pressure. By the end of the powerplay, the game was quickly slipping out of New Zealand's hands. England had racked up 67 in just the first six overs and Roy was in no mood to let up.

The pitch at the Feroz Shah Kotla was one that was typically a good one for stroke-makers. There wasn't much on offer for the bowlers and very little room for error. The 25-year old Roy had scored a useful 42 on the same ground against Sri Lanka and found a good platform to make another mark. Alex Hales was pushed to the background and there was little respite for any of the New Zealand bowlers as Roy raced away to a 44-ball 78. The target was too little in the end despite a slight wobble when Roy and Morgan fell off successive deliveries against Sodhi. But Root and Buttler made light work of the chase to take England to a second final in the ICC World T20.

It could have been a tougher ask had New Zealand not bottled the good start that they had got. England would have probably been chasing at least 25 more. Put in to bat, New Zealand got off to an excellent start despite the loss of Martin Guptill early. Colin Munro is one of the two batsmen in the New Zealand top order responsible for getting New Zealand off to quick starts, along with Guptill. After the fall of the opener, Munro took on the role of powering New Zealand and did so with gay abandon. He isn't the most aesthetically pleasing batsman to watch but some of Munro's shots are eye-caching and sometimes even awe-worthy, like a switch-hit six or digging out a yorker through fine leg by lifting one leg.

His attacking instincts paid off and it ensured that New Zealand did not fall back at any point. Williamson did his supporting role quite well in a 74-run stand for the second wicket. It was only after the fall of Munro that England managed to pull things back briefly. His departure saw New Zealand's boundary tally come down significantly. They had reached 106/2 in just 13 overs and at that point were threatening to post a total around 180.

Ben Stokes was lucky to get two wickets off two consecutive full tosses - and both were important ones, that of Ronchi and Anderson. Ross Taylor had fallen in the previous over to a good catch by Morgan at cover. New Zealand were now running out of steam. They managed only 47 in the last seven overs. Ben Stokes had done the star turnaround with figures of 3-26. England walked back with a lot of hope and this was where New Zealand really lost grip of the game.

In the end, they had to go back with forlorn looks and yet another loss in the knockout stages of an ICC tournament. England's decision to pack their batting side with power-hitters worked perfectly on a pitch that wasn't going to trouble their technique. New Zealand's spinners had banked on assistance off the pitch for a lot of their success in the tournament, and when that was lacking, they couldn't force the issue. That England won with 17 balls to spare suggests they may have managed to chase down even 30 more if needed, but it was the confidence of coming back into the game with the ball that ultimately pushed them to such a convincing win and a flight to Kolkata.

Brief scores: New Zealand 153/8 in 20 overs (Colin Munro 46, Kane Williamson 32; Ben Stokes 3-26, Moeen Ali 1-10) lost to England 159/3 in 17.1 overs (Jason Roy 78, Jos Buttler 32*; Ish Sodhi 2-42) by 7 wickets.

It's David v Goliath, but remember David won the fight: Darren Sammy

The old-timers in the West Indies squad have their perfect chance for a last hurrah and Sammy echoed those sentiments © Cricaction

"The guys who predict the results, I think they say it's 80-20 to India so it feels like a David and Goliath but people tend to forget that David won the fight," chimes Darren Sammy, the West Indies captain, when asked about his side's chances in the ICC World T20 2016 semifinal against hosts India.

David did definitely win the fight, but that was a result that arrived on unexpected lines. Should the Caribbean side upstage India tomorrow, the result will not be an altogether unexpected one. It might not be one of popular opinion, but definitely one that many would have already taken into account, if not looked forward to.

West Indies go into this game knowing that the old-timers in the squad have their perfect chance for a last hurrah. Sammy echoed those sentiments on Thursday (March 30) while speaking at the pre-match press conference in Mumbai.

At least nine players in the West Indies line-up age over 30, with three among those at least 35, and with the next ICC World T20 four years from now, the 2016 edition presents them the ideal chance to claim the big prize. "We have a number of guys in their thirties," said Sammy who is himself 32.

"Yeah, I think so," he said when asked if this was like a last hurrah for those players. "The next T20 World Cup is in four years. The 'World Universe Boss' (Gayle) will be 40. I'll be 36. So yes, we really put our all into this tournament and the guys in the dressing room are aware of what's at stake.

"It's six steps to the cup. We've taken four, we had a little pothole in the road but we'll brush ourselves off and the step tomorrow is against India and we're looking forward to it. I think this year could be the year for the West Indies."

Sammy added that his team have gotten closer together after their problems with the board over payment issues, and also that they had proved their critics wrong by doing well thus far.

"There were a lot of issues before the tournament, a lack of respect for our T20 team. A lot has been said about this team (but) that just brought us closer together," said Sammy. "You can see in the way we've played we think it's us against the world ... and that's how we've gone out and played. Tomorrow is no bigger day to express that because I don't think we'll have one Indian supporter. It's going to be a massive game and it's a challenge we are ready for."

Playing at one of India's historic grounds and up against a roaring crowd, West Indies will have a tough task on their hands at Wankede, the home of India's 2011 World Cup victory. Sammy, however, said his team will look to enjoy the atmosphere and not get intimidated by it.

"It's going to be a hell of a game. It's going to be 15 West Indian players versus 75,000 and how many billions here in India. It's a challenge we're ready to face."

We're not fit enough: Mark Robinson

England's only loss of the World T20, 2016 came in the semifinal against Australia © Cricaction

Charlotte Edwards, the England Women's captain, had touted Australia to be favourites ahead of the semifinal clash of the ICC Women's World Twenty20 at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. Come Wednesday (March 30), Australia proved just why they are one of the best sides in game.

After Alyssa Healy and Elyse Villani got Australia off to a flying start, their ever-dependent captain Meg Lanning led the way with her second half-century of the tournament to get her side to 132 - about 20 short given they were 47 for 1 after six.

England responded in fine fashion, led once again by Charlotte Edwards, who averages a whopping 50.50, having scored over 200 runs in the tournament. However, their wobbly middle-lower order, that only just managed to cross the line in earlier games, failed to do that on the day as England were ousted from the tournament after being handed a five-run loss, having slipped to 117 for 7 from 89 for 1.

"Both teams got to similar stages," said Mark Robinson, England's coach, after their first loss in the tournament. "Both teams struggled to get boundaries in the end. It was all about the first 10 overs. We didn't bowl well enough in the first 10. The batting will get all the attention but with big boundaries, slowish bowlers, no one in front of the wicket, it's hard to find the boundaries."

Of Lanning's 55, 35 came from cover behind square, which Robinson attributed to his bowlers bowling with too much width. "It's the line and the pace you are trying to get. We've lost by a boundary. It's heart-breaking."

That said, with the start England got off to, at the halfway stage with 67 for 1, it seemed like the curtains were being drawn on Australia. However, England could have been in a much-better position had the opening pair of Edwards and Tammy Beaumont converted the singles into doubles that were on offer. That costed them a pretty penny in the end.

"One boundary, two twos... if you can find that. I feel for all the girls. Take the hat off to Australia. There's nothing between these two teams. We've got to get fitter. We're not fit enough. They out-ran us.

"Athleticism is something you are given by God but fitness is something we've got to get better, because we missed out on twos. We've got to change our mindset a bit, toughen up a bit, get a few more warriors like the captain.

"We know we're going in the right direction. The danger is that we over-analyse. "For me it's quite simple. We've got to get fitter, toughen up a bit," added a disappointed Robinson.

We are only running at 70% right now: Ravi Shastri

While Virat Kohli has been consistent, the others have failed to complement him © Cricaction

They may have huffed and puffed their way to the semifinal, but India team director Ravi Shastri, on Wednesday (March 30), said that the Indian team treating every game they play as a knockout has helped them perform better in the shortest format of the game.

India looked in devastating form coming into the ICC World Twenty20 2016, with T20I series wins against Australia and Sri Lanka, while they also clinched the Asia Cup T20. Their T20 run in 2016 before the world tournament included 10 wins and an unexpected loss to Sri Lanka on a seaming Pune wicket.

Once the World T20 started, however, India looked far from the side they were a week earlier. They were humbled by New Zealand on a turning Nagpur track, while against Bangladesh and Australia, they somehow managed to scrape through. Now, with West Indies lined up at the semifinal stage of the tournament, India know they cannot afford to slip up.

The side has been plagued by batting troubles, with the likes of Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Suresh Raina having struggled for form. Virat Kohli has been head and shoulders above his teammates, but that is something, Shastri reckons, India cannot take for granted in Mumbai.

"Oh, you would need (your top order to perform), in a big game like the semifinal," said Shastri during the pre-match press conference. I still believe we've played 70% to our ability, there's still 30% where we can improve. Let's hope it happens tomorrow, because in a semifinal, you've got to get your A game. You can't depend on one or two players, you need six or seven players to step up to the plate. It's not happened really in this tournament so far, let's hope it happens tomorrow."

That India are running at just 70% comes in sharp contrast to pre-tournament claims during which India captain, MS Dhoni had said that the side was probably running in sixth gear. The loss to New Zealand, however, turned things on its head for India and they suddenly looked beatable, even when conditions were in their favour.

Shastri, however, reckoned that in T20s, sides, no matter how strong, are bound to suffer setbacks. Such is the nature of the game. "In this format, you're bound to get a hiccup. I don't care what side it is. This format is so tight, things can happen quickly. There can be upsets, but deep down you have to focus on your strengths and keep hammering away at that. And take it one step at a time.

"At the end of the day, you want to be consistent and take it one game at a time," he added. "That's been our approach. With every T20 game that we played, we knew that there was a World Cup coming up, but we said let's respect the format from the very beginning and let's treat every game as a knockout. You want to win every game, which means it doesn't matter who the opposition is, you just play the game."

The opposition India are up against in Mumbai is West Indies. The side from the Caribbean hold the most threat for the hosts since their opener against the unbeaten New Zealand. West Indies racked up impressive wins against England, South Africa and Sri Lanka, but their frailties were highlighted during their defeat to Afghanistan in Nagpur.

Shastri still maintained that Darren Sammy's side is and has been one of the most dangerous. "I've said that from the beginning. They are probably one of the most dangerous sides in this format, because they've got explosive players, they've got match-winners. We know what we're up against."

He was quick to add, however, that his side is more than ready for them. "... and we're up and ready as well."

When he learnt about Chris Gayle's plans to upset the Indian bowlers by targeting them all, Shastri, in typical fashion, said his side was ready for the battle. "Bring it on! All our bowlers will target him," he countered.

Australia's WT20 campaign blighted by a clear lack of cohesion

Steven Smith and the brains trust took a mighty gamble separating Aaron Finch and David Warner at the top of the order. © Cricaction

Heading into the World T20, we probably should have taken heed of the warning signs but were too absorbed with Australia's aura. Perhaps we also confused this hodgepodge of a T20 team with Australia's formidable One-Day International team. Some of the names are the same but the overall cohesion does not mesh in T20 cricket like it does so overwhelmingly in ODIs.

Still, Australia came into the World T20 as second favourites in many leading betting agencies but will return home ingloriously having failed to qualify for the semi-final stage. Australia, the undisputed dominant force in ODI World Cups winning four of the last five titles, still frustratingly have not won a World T20.

They were stunningly knocked out of the tournament by Virat Kohli, who put on his superhero cape to produce one of the most incredible innings seen in any format. Australia were gallant in the face of Kohli's masterclass and ardent Australian backers can rightly argue the team was in the box seat with three overs remaining.

Undoubtedly, Australia showed plenty of archetypal pluck against the odds in Mohali but what should not be conveniently forgotten was that they deserved to bow out early. Australia never looked settled throughout the tournament, mixing and matching their team in a clear sign of a lack of cohesion. If they are being honest with themselves in the mirror, Australia will admit their campaign was blighted by strange selections and bizarre tactics, which reared against India and New Zealand earlier in the tournament.

Captain Steve Smith oddly decided not to use Adam Zampa in the match's crunch juncture even though the leg-spinner had two overs left and came into the contest high on confidence after starring against Bangladesh and Pakistan. Revealingly, it spoke of Australia's inherent distrust of spinners in T20 cricket. They overlooked in their squad star Big Bash League (BBL) performer Cameron Boyce and Nathan Lyon, whose experience would have been invaluable.

There was a notable whiff of arrogance in the original squad's selection, as Australia bullishly believed they could thrive on Indian conditions with just one specialist spinner. Bizarrely, all-rounder Ashton Agar was selected as the second spinner even though his left-arm orthodox was rarely seen in the BBL, where he was primarily used as a middle-order batsman by Perth Scorchers.

Australia believed, unwisely, they could survive with a weakened pace attack, which looked threadbare without spearhead Mitchell Starc and a slew of all-rounders. Andrew Tye, a death bowling specialist, was another random selection despite his consistency in the BBL for Perth Scorchers. Australia clearly struggled with their death bowling yet did not even consider Tye for game time at the World T20. You would think Tye's original selection indicated he would play in the tournament, otherwise why pick him?

Hindsight is always a marvel, but you sense Australia would have looked notably more menacing and had greater variety with firebrand paceman Shaun Tait and either Boyce or Lyon instead of Agar and Tye. There was much the sameness of the attack. Nathan Coulter-Nile was capable of bustling in but you always felt his lack of international experience would show in crucial moments and, almost inevitably, it did at the end against India where he was helpless to stop a rampaging Kohli. To be fair to Coulter-Nile, maybe not even Starc at his rampaging best would be able to curtail Kohli's genius.

While the attack was a predictable mess, Australia's vaunted batting was a major disappointment and the prime reason why they flopped at the World T20. Boasting so much firepower and depth, it was hard not to be besotted with Australia's madcap batting line-up.

Unfortunately for Australia, they mangled the lineup and sabotaged their best chances of succeeding. It is still baffling that they chose to persist with utilising David Warner at No.3 or 4. It succeeded in South Africa prior to the World T20 where Warner, combining memorably with Glenn Maxwell, helped Australia chase down 205 and reinforce Australias belief that their vice-captain could be used as a floating weapon.

Warner's success in South Africa turned out to be fool's gold. It was jarring seeing him so hesitant during the World T20, second guessing himself when he went out to the crease mid-innings in Australia's opening two matches. Warner could never discover his confidence after that. He's innately an opening batsman and you feel he just wants to get out there immediately; perhaps he overthinks when waiting for his turn to bat.

Essentially, Warner is Australia's Chris Gayle. Can you imagine the West Indies batting Gayle anywhere other than right at the top?

Australia made other peculiar decisions, most contentiously overlooking Aaron Finch for the opening two matches. Finch was rated the world's number one T20 batsman and was the captain just two months ago yet did not start the World T20. By the time he was belatedly recalled against Pakistan, Finch could never quite rediscover his groove. 

Breaking the Finch-Warner opening partnership, which has worked so well in ODI cricket, felt strange in the moment and continues to look like a major miscalculation. Australia's batting was unbalanced and, accordingly, inconsistency became a major bane.

Australia's bowling attack, despite being competent, was never intimidating. © Cricaction

It was jarring to see Australia look so unprepared and ragged for a major tournament, especially considering there was a genuine sense they were keen to make amends for past World T20 failures. You generally expect incoherent teams to be comprised of England, Pakistan or the West Indies, but not Australia.

One of Australia's great strengths is their preparedness and strategising well in advance of major events. This is continually reinforced at ODI World Cups, where they start shaping their team at least 12 months prior. Prime examples include former captain Mark Taylor and wicketkeeper Ian Healy being dumped from the ODI team 18 months ahead of the 1999 World Cup, and the axing of the Waugh twins one year before the 2003 edition. Both sets of decisions probed to be masterstrokes, but, regardless, was indicative of Australia's attentiveness and assuredness.

Australia have seemingly never had the same focus with the World T20. Perhaps you can forgive them in the early years of T20, when they seemed to not really take the format seriously but those apathetic days are over. The World T20 is a major prize in cricket, and one that Australia have so far been unable to grasp.

Australia have always been a team that trades on a healthy dose of bravado, which can be backed up because they are primed and organised. You feel Australia's bravado in T20 cricket is more manufactured. They are feeding off past experiences in other formats. As Australia are belatedly now grasping, they are a long way off the mark in T20 cricket.

Undoubtedly, Australia need more fine-tuning in T20 matches; to play just once in 2015 is shambolic. They must find their identity and have continuity well before the World T20, not hope it magically materialises during the actual tournament. The sacking of Finch as captain just two months before the World T20 was indicative of the tangle Australia found themselves in.

It is not all doom and gloom for Australia. Most of the core of the team is youngish and should still be in their prime years in 2020. There is always a slew of talent annually in the BBL, so Australia should have plenty of options to choose for.

Undeniably, Australia will be expected to win the 2020 World T20 on home soil. But to do so, they need to analyse this current calamity and take heed of the lessons learnt. Australia have four long years to stew over the disappointment.

More importantly, they have four years to get it right.