Australia faces a challenging task to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals after India posted a formidable 205/5 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St. Lucia on Monday.
Mitchell Marsh and his team need to chase down 206 runs in 15.3 overs to secure a spot in the final four. They can extend the chase to 16 overs if they manage to score 210. If Australia fails to meet these targets, India will advance to the semi-finals.
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Additionally, if Australia scores less than 149 runs, they will be eliminated from the tournament.
Should Australia win after 15.3 overs, their qualification will depend on the outcome of the match between Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
India set a 206-run target after Australia opted to field first. The highlight of India’s innings was captain Rohit Sharma’s explosive 92 runs off 41 balls, featuring seven fours and eight sixes, breaking multiple records in the process.
India’s innings started poorly with star batter Virat Kohli returning to the pavilion without scoring. However, Sharma’s aggressive play continued despite losing his partner.
Sharma scored 29 runs in an over against Mitchell Starc, hitting four sixes and a four, igniting his charge against the Australian bowlers, which continued until the end of his innings.
The 37-year-old was on track for a century, but Starc’s yorker ended his innings. After Sharma’s departure, Suryakumar Yadav contributed a quick 31 runs off 16 balls, while Shivam Dube added 28 off 22.
Hardik Pandya provided a crucial 27 runs off 17 deliveries down the order, helping India reach 205/5 in 20 overs.
For Australia, Starc and Marcus Stoinis took two wickets each, Josh Hazlewood picked one, while Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa went wicketless.
