Rohit Sharma leads the way against Australia, India to face holders England in semifinals

Gros Islet (Saint Lucia), June 24

Skipper Rohit Sharma played an innings to remember as India marched into the semifinals of the T20 World Cup with a 24-run win over Australia in their last Super Eight fixture here today.

It’s quite satisfying, especially when you play like that. We knew the threat of this opposition, but we kept doing the things we know best, and we can take a lot of confidence from that. Rohit Sharma

Rohit combined brute force with elegance in his 92 off 41 balls as India amassed 205/5 after Australia opted to bowl on a batting beauty. In reply, Australia ended at 181/7.

8

Sixes hit by Rohit during his 92-run knock, the most by an India batter in an innings at the men’s T20 World Cup. He broke the record held by Yuvraj Singh

205

India’s total against Australia is the joint-highest by any team against Australia at the men’s T20 World Cup

29

Runs conceded by Starc in the third over, including 28 scored by Rohit. It is Starc’s most expensive over in his international career and the costliest in all T20Is

Staring at an exit from the competition, Australia showed their familiar fighting spirit in the run chase via skipper Mitchell Marsh (37 off 28), who was back among the runs, and India’s nemesis Travis Head (76 off 43), who played a blinder in the ODI World Cup final last year.

The trio of Kuldeep Yadav (2/24), Jasprit Bumrah (1/29) and Arshdeep Singh (3/37) eventually kept the Australians at bay as India finished on top of Group 1.

After their second loss in three games, Australia have left their fate in the hands of Afghanistan who take on Bangladesh and are also in running for the second semifinals spot from Group 1.

India’s third win in as many games in the Super Eight fixed a date with defending champions England in the second semifinal in Guyana on Thursday.

Australia, as expected, showed plenty of fight in the chase before fizzling out in the death overs.

The highlight of the 86-run partnership between Head and Marsh was their exemplary ball-striking ability.

Amid the high-quality hitting from Marsh and Head, Kuldeep’s bowling stood out. One of his wickets, though, was purely down to the brilliance of Axar Patel who took a one-handed stunner on the jump at deep square leg to send back Marsh.

With 65 needed off 30 balls and Head in the middle, the match hung in balance before Jasprit Bumrah returned to remove the opener with a slower ball and Australia could not press on thereafter.

Earlier, on the best batting surface of the tournament, Australia put India in to bat and Rohit made the most of the conditions with a sublime knock, comprising seven fours and eights sixes including a recording-extending 200th in the format.

“We don’t want to do anything different (in the knockouts), we want to play the same way,” Rohit said.