KEY POINTS:
New Zealand advanced to the semifinals of cricket's Twenty20 World Cup in South Africa after India beat the hosts in the last Super Eights match today.
New Zealand are to play Pakistan in Cape Town tomorrow while India play Australia in Durban.
New Zealand's passage into the last
four was booked for them when India beat South Africa by 37 runs.
India posted a score of 153 for five, to which South Africa responded by making 116 for nine.
South Africa were 10 runs short of pipping pool rivals New Zealand for a semifinals berth by virtue of run rate.
"We do find ways to get knocked out of these tournaments," South Africa skipper Graeme Smith said. "It's a very quiet dressing room.
"There's a lot of disappointment knowing you've only lost one game and you're out, that does seem weird."
Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni propped up India's total of 153 for five after India won the toss and chose to bat.
Sharma scored an unbeaten 50 and Dhoni made 45 in a stand of 85 for the fifth wicket.
India needed rescuing after they lost their first three wickets for one run in the space of four balls in dwindling to 33 for three in the sixth over.
Veteran paceman Shaun Pollock struck twice in that period to take two for 17 in his unbroken spell of four overs.
India suffered a setback when Yuvraj Singh, who became the first player to hit six sixes in an over in Twenty20 matches in India's win over England on Thursday, was ruled out with an elbow injury. Yuvraj was replaced by Dinesh Karthik.
SCOREBOARD
India
G Gambhir c Smith b Pollock 19
V Sehwag c Boucher b Ntini 11
D Karthik c JA Morkel b Pollock 0
R Uthappa c Smith b M Morkel 15
R Sharma not out 50
M Singh Dhoni run out 45
I Pathan not out 0
Extras (2b, 2lb, 8w, 1nb) 13
Total (for 5 wkts, 20 overs) 153
Fall: 32, 33, 33, 61, 146.
Bowling: S Pollock 4-0-17-2, M Ntini 4-0-30-1 (2w), J van der Wath 4-0-43-0, M Morkel 4-0-32-1 (1nb), V Philander 2-0-14-0 (2w), A Morkel 2-0-13-0.
South Africa
H Gibbs lbw b Rudra Singh 1
G Smith c Karthik b Rudra Singh 4
AB de Villiers lbw b Sreesanth 1
J Kemp run out 5
M Boucher b Sreesanth 36
S Pollock b R Singh 0
A Morkel b R Singh 36
V Philander st Karthik b H Singh 2
J van der Wath st Karthik b H Singh 1
M Morkel not out 1
M Ntini not out 4
Extras (10lb, 15w) 25
Total (for 9 wkts, 20 overs) 116
Fall: 11, 12, 12, 30, 31, 100, 103, 109, 111.
Bowling: S Sreesanth 4-0-23-2 (6w), R Singh 4-0-13-4 (3w), J Sharma 4-0-24-0 (1w), I Pathan 4-0-16-0 (1w), H Singh 4-0-32-2.
Result: India won by 37 runs.
- NZPA, REUTERS