On Monday, India thrashed Australia by 24 runs and confirmed their slot in the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal at Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia. After being invited to bat first, India posted a hefty 205/5 in 20 overs and, with a brilliant bowling display, restricted Australia to 181/7.
The opening duo of Virat and Rohit failed to click for India once again, with Virat departing for a 5-ball duck in the second over of the innings. However, Rohit Sharma (92 off 41) took the Aussie bowlers to the cleaners and laid a solid foundation for the later batters. Suryakumar Yadav (31 off 16), Shivam Dube (28 off 22), and Hardik Pandya (27* off 17) chipped in with valuable contributions and propelled India’s score to 205/5 in 20 overs.
Mitchell Starc (2/45) and Marcus Stoinis (2/56) grabbed a couple of wickets for Australia but were very expensive in their spells. Josh Hazlewood (1/14) bowled economically and extracted a solitary wicket. 
Australia lost David Warner (6 off 6) in the opening over of the match, but Travis Head (76 off 37) and Mitchell Marsh (37 off 28) kept the run rate in check. The pair added 81 runs for the second wicket, with Kuldeep removing the Aussie skipper and providing a much-needed breakthrough for India. While Glenn Maxwell (20 off 12) showed glimpses of his brilliance, the likes of Marcus Stoinis (4 off 2), Tim David (15 off 11), and Matthew Wade (1 off 2) couldn’t capitalize on the platform laid by Head and Marsh.
Indian bowlers displayed a commendable effort and restricted mighty Australia to 181/7 in 20 overs. Arshdeep Singh (3/37) topped the wicket chart for the Men in Blue, while Kuldeep Yadav (2/24) was economical and bagged a couple of crucial wickets. Jasprit Bumrah (1/29) and Axar Patel (1/21) chipped in with a solitary wicket.
Key Moments of the Match:
Virat Kohli departs without troubling the scorer
Virat Kohli is going through a rough patch in the ongoing T20 World Cup, and once again, he failed to impress with the bat in this mega event. The right-handed batter attempted a pull shot off Josh Hazlewood in the second over of the innings but miscued it towards deep mid-wicket, departing for a 5-ball duck. It is pertinent to mention that it was Kohli’s third duck in eight T20I innings this year.
Rohit Sharma sets the stage on fire
Rohit Sharma’s form had been a concern for the Men in Blue in this World Cup. However, the Indian skipper put those worries to rest with a belligerent innings in this match. He went berserk right from the start and thrashed the Aussie bowlers to all parts of the field. In the third over of the innings, Rohit Sharma smashed Starc for four sixes and a four to initiate the onslaught. Rohit reached his fifty off just 19 balls, the fastest fifty in this T20 World Cup. However, Starc dismissed the Indian skipper for 92 runs in the 12th over, denying him a century. This innings also marked Rohit’s highest score in T20 World Cups.
Arshdeep Singh draws the first blood
The left-arm pacer got India off to a perfect start, claiming a crucial wicket in the very first over. He trapped the dangerous David Warner for a meagre six runs on the final ball, putting pressure on the Australian batting line-up from the outset.
Axar Patel’s stupendous catch
After removing David Warner in the opening over of the match, Indian bowlers struggled to break the partnership between Marh and Head for the next seven overs. However, a sensational catch from Axar Patel on the last ball of the ninth over changed the game’s fortune. Marsh attempted to pull on a short-of-a-length delivery off Kuldeep, which was flat and hard towards the deep square leg. Initially, it looked like it would sail over the ropes for six, but Axar plucked a stunner at the mentioned position. He leaped at the right moment, went for it with both, and grabbed it with his right hand. Despite falling to the ground, he clung onto the catch.
Head Repeats Heroics, But Bumrah Strikes Back
Unfazed by the early loss of David Warner, Travis Head continued his dominance against India. The left-handed batter looked in sublime touch and kept Indian bowlers pondering. He smashed 76 runs off 43 balls with 9 fours and 4 sixes, keeping Australia in the hunt. However, his dismissal in the 17th over by Jasprit Bumrah proved to be a pivotal moment, leaving the Aussies with a mountain to climb in the remaining overs.
India is undefeated in the ongoing mega event, and they will face England in the second semifinal at Providence Stadium, Guyana, on June 27. The Parimatch odds for India in this fixture are 1.64x.
Conversely, the defeat at the hands of India has knocked out Australia from this World Cup. By the time this report was written, Afghanistan had defeated Bangladesh in the last match of the Super Eight to finish second on the Group 1 points table. Afghanistan will be up against South Africa in the first semifinal at Brian Lara Stadium, Tarouba, Trinidad, on June 26
