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This is an archive article published on September 23, 2007

India, Pak banish strife with dream final

India and Pak set up a dream final at the Twenty20 WC in S Africa, 6 months after their first-round exits from the 50-over version.

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India and Pakistan set up a dream final at the Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa on Saturday, six months after their ignominious first-round exits from the 50-over version in West Indies.

India stunned Australia, champions in tests and one-dayers, by 15 runs after Pakistan’s six-wicket win over New Zealand in the first semi, sending passionate sub-continent cricket fans into frenzied celebration anticipating Monday’s final.

Both began as rank outsiders in the inaugural World Cup for the game’s shortest and newest version, but have banished their Caribbean failure as a distant nightmare.

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India aim for a repeat of their 1983 World Cup win while Pakistan, the 1992 champions, have yet to beat their traditional rivals in a Cup encounter. Their meeting in the early stages ended with India winning a ‘bowl out’ after a tied game.

With the average age of their players below 24, India beat England, South Africa and Australia in must-win games, vindicating the selectors’ decision to groom them for the future.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni was named captain after Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Saurav Ganguly opted out and the wicketkeeper is moulding the team in his mirror image, flamboyant but committed to the team’s cause.

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