GROS-ISLET: Rohit Sharma struck a quickfire 92 as India looked to book their place in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup by defeating Australia in St. Lucia on Monday.
The India captain’s dashing innings – he faced just 41 balls, including seven fours and eight sixes – was the cornerstone of a total of 205-5 made after Australia skipper Mitchell Marsh won the toss in this Super Eights match.
India star batsman Virat Kohli holed out for a five-ball duck off Josh Hazlewood, who took an impressive 1-14 in his maximum four overs, with Tim David taking a fine running catch over his shoulder. But fellow opener Rohit then cut loose.
Afghanistan stun Australia with 21-run T20 World Cup win
Rohit was particularly severe on Mitchell Starc, the only change to the Australia team that suffered a shock 21-run defeat by Afghanistan last time out.
He hit the left-arm fast bowler for 29 runs in a third over where he struck four sixes – two in successive balls over extra-cover, a monster hit over deep midwicket and a top-edged full toss over the wicketkeeper.
But with Rohit threatening to the first hundred of this tournament, Starc bowled him with an excellent yorker to leave India 127-3 in the 12th over.
Suryakumar Yadav (31), Shivam Dube (28) and Hardik Pandya (27 not out) kept the runs coming.
Starc did well to finish with 2-45 as fellow paceman Pat Cummins went wicketless while conceding 48 runs.
Victory for India, beaten on home soil by Australia in the final of last year’s 50-over World Cup, would put them into the semi-finals.
An Australia win will likely see them into the last four but they will not necessarily be eliminated if they lose, with Afghanistan in action against Bangladesh later Monday.
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