<div><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Suryakumar Yadav hit a blazing unbeaten 61 as India set up a Twenty20 World Cup semi-final against England by crushing Zimbabwe by 71 runs at a packed Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div>India were flying at 87-1 but the loss of three quick wickets slowed them down before Yadav set the proceedings alight, smashing six sixes in his 25-ball blitz to steer them to 186-5, with 79 coming off the last five overs.</div><div><br></div><div>Zimbabwe lost two wickets for two runs in reply and were never in the hunt, capitulating in the 17th over in front of 82,507 fans. Ravichandran Ashwin took 3-22 for a rampant India.</div><div><br></div><div>The number one-ranked Indians, the 2007 champions, were already through to the semi-finals after the Netherlands upset South Africa earlier in the day.</div><div><br></div><div>Victory over Zimbabwe confirmed their position at the top of Group 2 to tee up a last-four clash with Jos Buttler's England, who finished second in Group 1. The two sides face off at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.</div><div><br></div><div>Group 1 winners New Zealand will play Group 2 runners-up Pakistan at the Sydney Cricket Ground a day earlier.</div><div><br></div><div>India won the toss and batted in the final group game of the Super 12 stage, with a disciplined Zimbabwe -- whose semi-final hopes were already over -- opening with nine dot balls.</div><div><br></div><div>But the runs started flowing with Rohit Sharma slapping a boundary off Tendai Chatara and then KL Rahul lashing a huge six from Richard Ngarava.</div><div><br></div><div>Rohit was just getting in the groove when he misjudged a pull shot going for the ropes again and was out for 15, caught in the deep by Wellington Masakadza.</div><div><br></div><div>That brought Virat Kohli to the crease and he and Rahul reached 79-1 after 10 overs.</div><div><br></div><div>Kohli became the highest run-scorer in T20 World Cup history last week and had hit three half-centuries during the tournament.</div><div><br></div><div>But there would be no explosive fourth, with the master batsman holing out on 26 to Ryan Burl, undone by the spin of Sean Williams.</div><div><br></div><div>Rahul brought up an entertaining 50 with a six off Sikandar Raza but departed next ball trying for another, taken on the boundary by Masakadza for 51.</div><div><br></div><div>Williams and Burl combined again to remove Rishabh Pant (3) before Yadav and Hardik Pandya (18) powered India home.</div><div><br></div><div>Zimbabwe's chase got off to a horror start with Wesley Madhevere out first ball, flashing Bhuvneshwar Kumar to the covers, where Kohli hung on.</div><div><br></div><div>It went from bad to worse when Regis Chakabva also fell without scoring, bowled by Arshdeep Singh to leave them on 2-2.</div><div><br></div><div>Williams and skipper Craig Ervine put on 26 for the third wicket before both departed in the space of six balls -- Williams caught off Mohammed Shami for 11 and Ervine caught and bowled by Hardik Pandya for 13.</div><div><br></div><div>Raza and Burl came to the rescue, with spinner Axar Patel coming in for particular punishment.</div><div><br></div><div>They put on 60 runs before Burl was bowled by Ashwin for a 22-ball 35. The wickets kept tumbling with Raza the penultimate batsman, out for 34. - AFP&nbsp;</div><div><br></div><div>bnbd24/fas</div>