KOLKATA, India (AFP) — Sanju Samson’s sparkling unbeaten 97 kept alive India’s dream of retaining the T20 World Cup at home as they knocked out the West Indies with a five-wicket win in Kolkata on Sunday to set up a semi-final against England.

Samson hit 12 fours and four sixes in his superb, 50-ball knock in the winner-takes-all final Super Eights match, to thrill a capacity 67,000 fans at a pulsating Eden Gardens.

After the West Indies smacked 70 off the last five overs to score 195-4,after being asked to bat, India lost two early wickets but were always up with the required rate.

Samson, opening for the second match in succession, led the way.

When India slipped to 41-2 Samson was joined by Captain Suryakumar Yadav (18) as the pair added 58 for the third wicket.

Tthough Hardik Pandya fell for 17, India reached the target with four balls to spare to spark celebrations and fireworks.

“It means the whole world to me,” Samson said. “Right from the day I started playing, started dreaming to play for the country, I think this is the day I was waiting for.”

Samson said he learned the art of finishing matches “from the greats like Virat Kohli, from Rohit Sharma”.

Jason Holder and Rovman Powell earlier put on an unbroken stand of 76 for the fifth wicket to help the West Indies set the defending champions a target of 196 to stay alive.

The West Indies sprang a surprise at the top of the order, promoting Test captain Roston Chase to open alongside T20 skipper Shai Hope.

That enabled them to bring in an extra spinner, Akeal Hosein, with regular opener Brandon King left out.

In their defeat to South Africa last week the West Indies slumped to 83-7, but the new-look opening partnership was more assured.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy got the first breakthrough, bowling Hope for a sluggish 32.

Shimron Hetmyer raced to 27 off 12 balls before falling to the faintest of edges off Jasprit Bumrah to make it 102-2.

After Chase fell for 40 and Sherfane Rutherford followed, Powell and Holder launched their brutal late assault.

Powell finished on 34 not out from 19 balls with two sixes and three fours, while Holder was unbeaten on 37 off 22 balls with three sixes and two fours.

“Maybe a few short, especially on a chasing ground such as this,” said a disappointed Hope. “Probably could have gone a bit more at the end. Probably could have got more at the start as well.”

South Africa, the only unbeaten side in the tournament, beat Zimbabwe by five wickets earlier on Sunday and will face New Zealand in Kolkata in the first semi-final on Wednesday.

The final is in Ahmedabad on Sunday.

SCOREBOARD

West Indies

*+Shai Hope b Varun 32

Roston Chase c Yadav b Bumrah 40

Shimron Hetmyer c +Samson b Bumrah 27

Sherfane Rutherford c +Samson b Pandya 14

Rovman Powell not out 34

Jason Holder not out 37

Extras (lb1, w10) 11

Total (four wickets; 20 overs) 195

Did not bat: Romario Shepherd, Matthew Forde, Akeal Hosein, Gudakesh Motie, Shamar Joseph

Fall of wickets: 1-68, 2-102, 3-103, 4-119

Bowling: Singh 4-0-43-0, Pandya 4-0-40-1, Patel 4-0-35-0, Bumrah 4-0-36-2, Chakravarthy 4-0-40-1

India

Abhishek Sharma c Hetmyer b Hosein 10

+Sanju Samson not out 97

Ishan Kishan c Hetmyer b Holder 10

*Suryakumar Yadav c Rutherford b Joseph 18

Tilak Varma c Hetmyer b Holder 27

Hardik Pandya c Holder b Joseph 17

Shivam Dube not out 8

Extras (lb5, w7) 12

Total (five wickets; 19.2 overs) 199

Did not bat: Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah

Fall of wickets: 1-29, 2-41, 3-99, 4-141, 5-179

Bowling: Hosein 2-0-22-1, Forde 3-0-22-0, Holder 4-0-38-2, Motie 2-0-18-0, Shepherd 2.2-0-34-0, Joseph 4-0-42-2,

Chase 2-0-18-0

Toss: India elected to field

Player of the Match: Sanju Samson

Umpires: Alex Wharf, Chris Gaffaney

TV Umpire: Richard Kettleborough

Reserve Umpire: Chris Brown

Match Referee: Ranjan Madugalle