Super 8: India defend 206-run target to seal victory against Australia

• India to face England in second semi-final of T20 World Cup.
• Travis Head, Mitchell Marsh build 81-runs partnership.
• Indian skipper Rohit Sharma scored 92 runs of 41 balls.

India sealed victory over Australia by 24 runs in the Super Eights match of the T20 World Cup 2024 played at Daren Sammy Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, and secured a semi-final berth.

Kuldeep Yadav starred for India with the ball as his economical spell of 2/24 in four overs helped them halt Australia’s charge with the bat.

India will now play England in the second semi-final of T20 World Cup 2024.

Chasing the target, Australia, just like India, 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 back in the game.

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.

Earlier, the highlight of India’s innings was their captain Rohit Sharma’s explosive knock, where he scored 92 runs on 41 balls with the help of seven fours and eight sixes.

India started their innings poorly as star batter Virat Kohli returned to the pavilion without scoring a run. However, the dismissal didn’t stop Sharma from playing attacking cricket.

Sharma scored 29 runs to Mitchell Starc where he hit four sixes and a four, it was the over which started Hitman’s charge on the Aussies’ bowlers which didn’t stop till the end of his innings.

The 37-year-old was on his way to complete his well-deserving century but Starc’s yorker ended his innings. As his knock concluded, the 37-year-old became the leading run-scorer in T20Is and had hit the most sixes in T20 World Cup history.

After Sharma’s departure, Suryakumar Yadav played a quick 16-ball 31-run knock while Shivam Dube scored 28 off 22.

Hardik Pandya down the order provided crucial 27 runs off 17 deliveries and helped India conclude their innings at 205-5 in 20 overs.

For Australia, Starc and Marcus Stoinis bagged two wickets each, Josh Hazlewood picked one while Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa went wicketless.

Playing XIs

Australia: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (capt), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.

India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.