The Super Eight stage clash between India and Australia in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 was a match to remember. Held at the St Lucia’s Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, it was a crucial game that saw India secure a semifinal berth by defeating Australia by 24 runs.

First Innings: India’s batting brilliance

India’s innings was defined by an explosive batting display led by Captain Rohit Sharma. Pushed into batting first, India posted a mammoth total of 205/5 in 20 overs. Rohit’s incredible 92 off 41 balls was the highlight, supported by key contributions from Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya.

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Rohit Sharma’s carnage

Rohit Sharma was in a destructive mood right from the start. His innings was marked by seven fours and eight sixes, with a strike rate of 224.39. Rohit’s aggressive approach left the Australian bowlers scrambling for answers. Starc’s full deliveries were punished mercilessly, as Rohit lofted two sixes over cover and one over mid-wicket, taking 29 runs off a single over.

Partnerships and Key contributions

While Rohit led the charge, other batsmen chipped in effectively. Rishabh Pant joined the boundary-hitting spree, smashing a six off Adam Zampa. Despite Pant’s dismissal, Suryakumar Yadav continued the assault with quick boundaries, scoring 31 off 16 balls. Shivam Dube and Hardik Pandya added crucial runs in the latter stages, with Pandya’s big hits ensuring a strong finish for India.

Australia’s bowling efforts

Australia’s bowlers had a tough day, but there were moments of resilience. Mitchell Starc and Marcus Stoinis managed to take two wickets each, while Josh Hazlewood bowled an economical spell, conceding just 13 runs and taking a wicket. However, the onslaught from Indian batsmen made it difficult for them to contain the score.

Australia’s Chase: Early setbacks

Chasing a daunting target of 206 runs, Australia faced early setbacks. Arshdeep Singh struck in the first over, dismissing David Warner for 6 runs. Warner’s early departure put pressure on Australia right from the start.

Marsh and Head’s partnership

Captain Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head then steadied the ship, building a strong partnership of 81 runs off 48 balls. Marsh contributed 37 runs off 28 balls before falling to Kuldeep Yadav, who ended the partnership with a brilliant delivery, caught by Axar Patel. Axar Patel, though, wasn’t ready to give in yet. The southpaw pulled off one of the greatest T20 World Cup catches of all time.

Kuldeep’s double strike

Kuldeep Yadav played a crucial role in shifting the momentum back in India’s favor. After dismissing Marsh, he struck again in the 14th over, removing Glenn Maxwell, who had scored 20 runs off 12 balls. Maxwell’s dismissal was a significant blow to Australia’s hopes of chasing down the target.

Middle Overs: Australia’s struggle

India’s spinners kept things tight in the middle overs. Axar Patel dismissed Marcus Stoinis for just 2 runs, caught by Hardik Pandya. The pressure mounted on Australia as they struggled to find boundaries, with Indian bowlers maintaining tight lines and lengths.

Travis Head’s resilience

Travis Head was the standout performer for Australia, scoring 76 runs off 43 balls. His innings kept Australia in the hunt, but he lacked support from the other end. Head’s dismissal in the 17th over, bowled by Jasprit Bumrah and caught by Rohit Sharma, was a turning point in the match.

Late Overs drama

17th Over:- Australia need 59 off 24. Bumrah is here. Off-cutter, bouncer to Head and he pulls for a single. David too pushes the ball towards long on for a single. OUT! Off-cutter, Head goes for a slog but top edges it and it caught inside the circle. Massive wicket. Head c Rohit b Bumrah 76(43). Mathew Wade takes a single on his first ball. David isn’t able to time the ball well. Double to end the over.

18th Over:- Arshdeep. OUT! Wade is caught at short third. Umpires check for a clean catch as Kuldeep had to dive to take the catch. But replays suggest it was a clean and Wade has to go. Pat Cummins is here. Lofts the ball straight but the ball lands safely. Single. David slaps the ball straight and gets a boundary. Full toss, David launches the ball straight, long off is interested but the ball clears the boundary. OUT! David gets thick edge straight to short third. 

19th Over:-Bumrah. He’s bowling the cutter brilliantly. Another cutter but Cummins times his pull well and gets a SIX. Bumrah follows it up with a yorker. 10 runs from the over. 

20th Over:- With 29 runs needed off the final over, the match reached a tense climax. Arshdeep Singh returned to bowl the 18th over, striking twice to dismiss Matthew Wade and Tim David. The Australian batters could only manage 4 runs in the final over, falling short of the target by 24 runs.

Most wins as captain in T20Is (including Super Over wins):

• Rohit Sharma holds the record for the most wins as a captain in T20 Internationals, achieving 48 victories in just 60 matches.
• Babar Azam has also secured 48 wins as a captain, but he achieved this milestone in 85 matches.
• Brian Masaba has 45 wins as captain in T20Is, accomplishing this in 60 matches.
• Eoin Morgan follows with 44 wins as a captain, which he reached in 72 matches.

Most consecutive wins for India in T20Is:

• India achieved their longest winning streak in T20 Internationals with 12 consecutive wins between November 2021 and February 2022.
• They had another impressive streak with 10 consecutive wins between December 2023 and June 2024.
• Another notable winning streak for India in T20Is was 9 consecutive wins between January 2020 and December 2020.

Player of the Match

Rohit Sharma, Player of the Match: That’s what I have to do (in the powerplay), try and see what the bowlers are doing, play accordingly. They changed their plans and tried to bowl against the breeze. Needed to be smart, was just backing myself to do. You got to understand that bowlers are smart, they are not going to bowl into the breeze. I was thinking to hit everything that was possible. You can access all sides of the field, that is what I was trying to do. It has been a good wicket and you need to back yourself on good wickets, glad that it came off today. I told you that 50s and 100s don’t matter to me. Need to put the bowlers under pressure, and you need big scores for that. I tried to access all sides of the field, not just one side.