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Rohit Sharma’s Indian National Cricket Team faced off against Mitchell Marsh’s Australia in the 51st match of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia on Monday, June 24.

India, coming off dominant victories over Bangladesh and Afghanistan in the Super 8 stage, entered the match with confidence. They also held a historical advantage over Australia in T20 World Cup encounters, having won three out of their five previous meetings. The Men in Blue had a perfect record in the group stage, winning all three matches.

This marked the first T20 World Cup encounter between the two teams since their 2016 clash, where India emerged victorious by 6 wickets with 5 balls to spare in Mohali on March 27.

Australia batted first and managed to set a competitive total of 160/6, fueled by notable contributions from Aaron Finch, Glenn Maxwell, and Usman Khawaja. India’s bowlers shared the wickets, with Hardik Pandya (2), Yuvraj Singh (1), Ravichandran Ashwin (1), Jasprit Bumrah (1), and Ashish Nehra (1) all making breakthroughs.

In reply, India’s opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma faltered early, but captain Virat Kohli showcased his batting prowess with a spectacular innings. Kohli’s masterclass saw him score 82 runs off 51 balls, smashing 9 fours and 2 sixes. Despite lacking support from other batsmen, Kohli’s efforts earned him the Player of the Match award.

Returning to the IND vs AUS T20 World Cup 2024 clash, Rohit Sharma played a pivotal role in India’s response, leading from the front with an aggressive knock. After Kohli’s early dismissal for a duck, Sharma took charge and blasted his way to 92 runs. Contributions from Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya bolstered India’s total to a commanding 205/5.

Rohit Sharma’s stellar batting performance proved decisive as India secured a significant victory over Australia in this crucial T20 World Cup encounter.

I told you that 50s and 100s don’t matter to me says Rohit Sharma

After dismissing David Warner early for 6, India faced a resilient Travis Head, known for his prowess against the Men in Blue, who posed a significant threat once again. Head’s aggressive batting yielded 76 runs and kept Australia in contention deep into the match. However, his dismissal by Jasprit Bumrah in the 17th over proved pivotal, swinging the game decisively in India’s favor. India’s bowlers, including Arshdeep Singh (3 wickets), Kuldeep Yadav (2), Jasprit Bumrah (1), and Axar Patel (1), delivered crucial performances to restrict Australia to 181/7, securing a 24-run victory for their team.

Following his Player of the Match award win, Rohit Sharma emphasized that his batting was simply about fulfilling the team’s requirements. The Indian captain reiterated his disregard for personal milestones, focusing instead on applying pressure on opposition bowlers. Rohit Sharma elaborated:

“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.”

Discussing the team’s performance, Rohit Sharma expressed satisfaction in achieving their objective, noting that defending 200 runs wasn’t secure given the prevailing conditions. Rohit Sharma affirmed:

“Satisfying. We know the opposition and the threat they bring. As a team we did well, kept doing the things we needed to do. Gives us good confidence as a team. 200 is a good score but when you are playing here with wind being a big factor, anything can happen. But I think we used to conditions really well, and it was about individuals doing their job. If was about getting wickets at the right time.”