India clinch thrilling victory over Australia to get into Semi-Finals

Rohit Sharma’s 92 runs, followed by a combined bowling effort of Arshdeep and Bumrah led India to beat Australia and qualify for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals at Darren Sammy National Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Chasing a daunting 206-run total, Australia could accumulate 181/7 in their quota of 20 overs despite Travis Head’s half-century. 

Just like India, Australia had a terrible start as they lost David Warner in the first over.

After losing the first wicket, Travis Head and skipper Mitchell Marsh combined for 81 runs and put their side in the driving seat again.

Marsh departed after scoring 37 off 28 with Axar Patel taking an absolute blinder on Yadav’s delivery. Following the captain’s dismissal, Glenn Maxwell came but he, too, couldn’t play a big innings and got bowled by Yadav’s googly.

Wickets kept falling but Australia were still in the game as Travis Head was still hitting the Indian bowlers. However, in the 17th over, Bumrah removed the left-handed batter which was a massive blow for the Aussies.

Australia eventually concluded their innings at 181-7 in the allocated overs. For India, Arshdeep Singh got three wickets, Yadav two while Bumrah and Axar picked one each.

Put into bat first, India registered 205/5 on the board, courtesy of Rohit Sharma’s baton charge.

Rohit, unfazed by his opening partner Virat Kohi’s early demise, dominated the Australian bowlers from the word go.

India had a contrasting start to their innings as they lost Virat Kohli (0) in the second over with just six runs on the board.

Meanwhile, Rohit, unfazed by his opening partner’s dismissal, denied Australia to attain momentum and smashed Mitchell Starc for 29 runs in the third over.

He continued to dominate the Australian bowlers in a one-sided second-wicket partnership with Rishabh Pant (15), which yielded 87 runs off just 38 deliveries.

Rohit was then involved in yet another notable partnership for India when he added 45 runs for the third wicket with Suryakumar Yadav before Starc finally got rid of him in the 12th over to provide Australia a much-needed breakthrough.

He remained the top-scorer for India with a 41-ball 92, peppered with seven fours and eight sixes. Yadav and Shivam Dube then knitted a brisk 32-run partnership to keep India on the track.

The top-ranked T20I batter walked back in the 15th over after scoring a blistering 31 off 16 balls with the help of three fours and two sixes.

Dube was then joined by Hardik Pandya in the middle and together they raised 35 runs for the fifth wicket until the former perished in the penultimate over after scoring 28 off 22.

Pandya bolstered India’s total in the death overs against Australia with 27 not out. His 17-ball cameo featured one four and two sixes.

Marcus Stoinis and Mitchell Starc bagged two wickets each for Australia while Josh Hazlewood picked one.

It is pertinent to mention that India are at the top of Group 1 of the Super Eights stage of the T20 World Cup 2024 with four points in two points, followed by Australia with two points in as many matches.