(BCCI Credit)
Team India clinched a crucial victory over Australia in their last Super 8 match, securing a 24-run win in the virtual quarter-final on Monday.
Batting first, India posted a formidable 205, and their bowlers defended the total brilliantly. Despite a threatening partnership between Travis Head (76) and Mitchell Marsh (37), who added 81 runs after David Warner’s early dismissal, India’s bowlers maintained pressure throughout the innings.
The pivotal moment came when Jasprit Bumrah deceived Travis Head with a slower delivery, resulting in Rohit Sharma taking a crucial catch to dismiss him. Axar Patel’s catch to dismiss Mitchell Marsh and Kuldeep Yadav’s dismissal of Glenn Maxwell were also crucial moments in the match.
Following India’s victory against Australia, cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar praised India’s performance on Twitter. He congratulated Axar Patel and Jasprit Bumrah for their pivotal contributions in seizing key moments during the match.
“Well done, India! Two crucial moments defined our victory today: @akshar2026’s brilliant catch at the boundary and @Jaspritbumrah93’s wicket of Travis Head. Can’t wait for the semi-finals” wrote Sachin On Twitter.
“Witnessing @ImRo45 bat was pure joy. He got into good positions, and his effortless bat swing and timing helped him achieve the distance he got. A special knock indeed” Sachin tweeted on Rohit’s knock.
This marks India’s fifth entry into the T20 World Cup semi-finals and their second consecutive appearance. They previously reached the final in 2007 and 2014, clinching the inaugural T20 World Cup title in 2007.
Next, Team India will face England in the second semi-final at Guyana on June 27, starting at 8 pm IST. This match offers India an opportunity to avenge their semi-final defeat to England in 2022 and secure their third T20 World Cup final appearance. Under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy, India reached the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2022, the final of the WTC 2023, and the ICC World Cup 2023 final. Rohit is eager to claim his maiden ICC title as captain.
Rohit Sharma was awarded the Man of the Match for his match-winning performance. He highlighted India’s successful strategies in the game and praised his bowlers for their outstanding contributions.
“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” said Rohit in the post-match presentation.
