Rohit Sharma transformed the art of T20 six-hitting into a breathtaking spectacle, blasting a magnificent 92 runs off just 41 balls to lead India to a thrilling 24-run victory over Australia in the final Super Eight game of the T20 World Cup at the Daren Sammy Stadium in St. Lucia. This win secured India’s place in the semi-finals, where they will face England in Guyana on June 27th. Australia’s fate will depend on the outcome of the Afghanistan versus Bangladesh match.
The Australian chase of 206 was kept alive by the explosive Travis Head, who threatened to single-handedly dismantle India’s hopes. Having scored 54 off just 26 deliveries, Head’s aggressive batting brought the equation down to 58 runs off the last four overs. However, just when Australia seemed poised for victory, Jasprit Bumrah entered the fray. With a masterfully disguised slower off-cutter, Bumrah induced a false shot from Head, who was caught at cover for 76 off 43 balls. This crucial wicket effectively sealed the game in India’s favor.
The match witnessed a compelling battle between bat and ball, with both teams showcasing their strengths. Earlier, despite a brief delay due to overnight showers, the weather cleared just in time for the match to commence. The game was played on the same surface where South Africa defended 163 against England, and the impact of the prevailing east-to-west wind, blowing at 21 kph, was evident from the outset. Australia brought back Mitchell Starc for Ashton Agar and chose to bowl, while India remained unchanged.
Australia struck early in the second over as Virat Kohli, attempting to pull a short ball from Josh Hazlewood, was caught by Tim David at mid-on. However, Rohit Sharma’s explosive response in the following over was a sight to behold. Starc, aiming to swing the ball into the right-hander with the wind, misfired spectacularly, conceding his most expensive T20 over ever – 29 runs. Rohit, with his signature flair, smashed five boundaries, including three sixes, to notch his fastest T20 fifty in just 19 balls. His dominance continued as he cleared the ropes against Adam Zampa and punished Marcus Stoinis with three consecutive boundaries.
Rohit’s aggressive footwork against pacers, exploiting the lack of swing on a flat track, proved pivotal for India. Despite the loss of Rishabh Pant to Zampa, India raced to 100 in just 8.4 overs, their quickest century in T20 World Cups. Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav forged a formidable partnership, but Starc, switching to round the wicket and employing off-cutters, dismissed Rohit in the 12th over. India’s strategic right-left batting combination to counter Zampa paid off, yielding 41 off his four overs. However, Suryakumar’s departure for 31 slowed the momentum. Hardik Pandya’s brisk cameo of 27 off 17 balls helped India cross the 200-run mark, but the match belonged to Rohit’s dazzling display of power hitting.
