India to return home with consolation win

Fast bowlers Ashish Nehra and Praveen Kumar shared six wickets to set up India's consolation seven-wicket victory over under-strength West Indies in the Champions Trophy here on Wednesday.

Left-arm seamer Nehra finished with 3-31 and Kumar with 3-22 as India dismissed the West Indies for 129 before achieving the modest target with more than 17 overs to spare in the day-night match.

Virat Kohli (79 not out) and Dinesh Karthik (34) built on their bowlers' efforts with a 92-run stand for the third wicket to steer them home in an inconsequential match.

Man-of-the-match Kohli hit two sixes and nine fours in his solid 104-ball knock for his second half-century in nine one-day internationals.

But India were already knocked out of the competition following Australia's tense two-wicket win over Pakistan in a day match at Centurion on Wednesday, while the West Indies were out of the tournament before this game.

Australia topped the four-team Group A with five points from three matches, followed by Pakistan (4/3), India (3/3) and the West Indies (0/3).

Australia and Pakistan advanced to the semi-finals.

England will clash with Australia in the first semi-final at Centurion on Friday, while Pakistan take on New Zealand in the other semi-final here the following day.

It was the second major tournament this year after the Twenty20 World Championships in England when India had failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

India also did not make it to the last-four when they hosted the Champions Trophy in 2006.

Their slim hopes before this match rested first on a Pakistan victory over formidable Australia and then beating the West Indies in a day-night game. It was all over when Australia clinched a last-ball thriller.

Darren Sammy (23), David Bernard (22) and Devon Smith (21) were the main scorers for the West Indies.

India seized the initiative after winning the toss as Kumar and Nehra bagged two wickets apiece in their disciplined opening spells to reduce the West Indies to 31-4 in 11 overs on a seamer-friendly track.

Kumar struck with his sixth delivery when he had Andre Fletcher caught by former captain Rahul Dravid at first slip for no score.

Nehra then had Kieran Powell (five) and Smith caught by wicket-keeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the space of three deliveries to put pressure on the West Indies.

Dhoni, who turned seamer after the drinks interval, got his maiden wicket in one-day internationals with his fourth delivery when he bowled Travis Dowlin for 14. Karthik kept wickets in the remaining part of the innings.

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was the other impressive bowler, finishing with 2-14 off eight overs.

India made two changes from the side that shared points with Australia in a rain-hit match at Centurion on Monday, bringing in Karthik and Abhishek Nayar in place of Sachin Tendulkar (stomach infection) and paceman Ishant Sharma.