Du Plessis, Duminy set India 173 to win World T20 semi

MIRPUR: A sparkling half-century by skipper Faf Du Plessis and JP Duminy´s brisk unbeaten 45 helped South Africa to a strong 172-4 against India in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20 on Friday.

Opting to bat first, South Africa had lost both their openers by the sixth over with just 44 runs on the board, before Du Plessis (58) added 71 runs with Duminy in 8.4 overs to prop up the innings.

Duminy played aggressively even after Du Plessis, who returned to the side having missed Saturday´s group match against England with a slow over-rate suspension, departed, hitting three sixes and a four in his unbeaten 40-ball knock.

Off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was the pick of the Indian bowlers, giving away 22 runs in his tidy four overs to claim the key wickets of Hashim Amla (22), Du Plessis and the dangerous AB de Villiers (10).