Brilliant Bravo stuns India

Dwayne Bravo and Shivnarine Chanderpaul walk triumphantly from the field after leading West Indies to a superb victory over India

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Dwayne Bravo's all-round brilliance helped West Indies pull off a shock win over India in the ICC World Twenty20 at Lord's.

Bravo struck an adventurous half-century to guide West Indies to a seven-wicket victory in the Super Eights clash and throw Group E wide open.

He finished unbeaten on 66, from only 36 deliveries, with the winning runs coming in the penultimate over when he lofted a majestic six over extra cover off Zaheer Khan.

Earlier, Bravo claimed four wickets as reigning champions India recovered from a slow start to post 153 for seven.

West Indies also struggled at the beginning of their innings and Bravo walked to the crease at 42 for two in the eighth over.

But his ability to manipulate the ball all around the wicket, married to his awesome striking ability, meant Chris Gayle's team got home with eight balls to spare.

The match was finished in a hurry as Bravo and veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul blitzed 47 runs in 3.4 overs.

Having set up that late dash with a cunning alliance with Lendl Simmons, Bravo made the most of being afforded a life on 27 moments before his third-wicket partner holed out for 44.

A mix-up should have resulted in Bravo being run out by wicketkeeper Mahendra Dhoni but his failure to gather with the stumps at his mercy proved crucial.

Later in the over, Bravo lofted the first of his three sixes, and the second, a steepler over long-off in the 17th over, sent down by fast bowler Ishant Sharma, virtually sealed the result.

Sixteen runs came off that Sharma over and Harbhajan Singh, who bowled a maiden in the powerplay period, was taken for 15 in the next.

So much depends on West Indies captain Gayle in this format but his relative failure - he was out to a skier after launching at off-spinner Yusuf Pathan - proved irrelevant this time.

Yuvraj Singh hits out on his way to a brutal 43-ball 67 to help India recover from the loss of three early wickets

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West Indies now face England's conquerors South Africa tomorrow, knowing victory will put them on the verge of the semi-finals.

Yuvraj had earlier revived India with a blistering late assault on a slow pitch.

The destructive left-hander crashed 67 off 43 deliveries as his side recovered from 66 for four in the 13th over.

West Indies neglected the opportunity to snare him later in that same over, sent down by Bravo, when Andre Fletcher floored a diving catch at deep square-leg.

Yuvraj was unbeaten on 32 at the time but a late rally of 34 runs from 11 deliveries provided his innings with real impetus.

Three wickets inside the powerplay overs forced India to readjust their sights, after winning the toss, on a pitch which Sri Lanka and Pakistan struggled to score fluently on earlier in the day.

Openers Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir were both undone by miscued pulls, the latter to a brilliant catch - taken over his head running from square-leg - by Simmons.

When captain Dhoni drilled straight to deep cover, West Indies would have harboured hopes of chasing something closer to a run a ball.

But Yuvraj opened his shoulders to stunning effect during a 64-run stand with Yusuf Pathan, which came off just 35 balls.

His most audacious stroke came off Jerome Taylor when he whipped a full-length delivery over deep midwicket.

Yusuf, whose own cameo of 31 reaped three fours and a six, perished in the final over when he was bowled by Bravo.

But Harbhajan finished the innings in style by finding the boundary off the final three deliveries.