COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP):

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh's four-wicket haul and Rohit Sharma's unbeaten 55 led India to a crushing 90-run win over defending champion England at the World Twenty20 yesterday.

Both teams had already qualified for the Super Eight before the match, but the win provide India with a morale booster ahead of the next round.

Batting first, India made a competitive 170-4 in 20 overs with Sharma returning to form.

England were then bowled out for 80 in 14 overs, with Harbhajan recording a career-best bowling spell of 4-12 on his international return after more than a year.

His earlier best performance was also against England, 3-30 in 2009.

Legspin bowler Piyush Chawla and seamer Irfan Pathan also picked up two wickets each.

Boost for team

Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said Harbhajan's return has boosted his team, giving him multiple bowling options and allowing off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin to be rested yesterday.

"We have a problem of plenty right now, but I am quite happy with the problem of plenty than looking at who is our fifth bowler," Dhoni said. "I have seen Bhajji (Harbhajan) bowl better. If you read the circumstances of this performance, coming back after a period of time, getting a chance where he has to prove himself, it's very great."

England captain Stuart Broad played down the defeat, saying the result was inconsequential and the match was an opportunity to try out four seam bowlers.

"It (the defeat) does not change what we did. It's not that we are going home or anything - we are still hopping on the bus to Kandy," he said of England's Super Eight matches in Kandy.