Australia beat India by 95 runs to win the second semi final encounter of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) on Thursday. Michael Clarke had said earlier in the day that if the side plays well, they should win. Indeed they did. Australia followed the age-old rule of cricket. Won the toss, batted first, posted a big total and got their opposition crumbling under the pressure of run-rate. Australian skipper Michael Clarke dropped the catch of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who stood as the only threat to the Australian score.But it didn’t prove too costly.
Dhoni scored 65 off as many balls to kleep up the hopes of possibly guiding India to the finals. even as the run rate kept mounting, he got the runs, but kept running out of partners. Eventually, Australia, the better side won the match comprehensively. It wasn’t a good day for Kohli either. India’s best player dropped a catch, got out for one playing a poor shot and could do little other than watch India surrender meekly.
Brad Haddin paid back the favours to the Indians, dropping Shikhar Dhawan while he was batting on five. Late in his short innings of seven balls, Virat Kohli had dropped an easy catch of the wicketkeeper-batsman. But it didn’t cost India much. Haddin remained unbeaten, but added just two more runs to his total. Dhawan’s drop, on the other hand, costed Australia 40 runs. More importantly, it gave India the early momentum in the 329-run chase.
Once Haddin was done returning the favour, he got back to business. He didn’t let Virat Kohli’s catch go begging. In a bid to pull Mitchell Johnson, Kohli top-edged and the wicketkeeper accepted the gift with glee. Rohit Sharma and Suresh Raina too followed him back to the dressing room. At this point not only was India running out of wickets, but the run rate also kept climbing.
Ajinkya Rahane and MS Dhoni looked to consolidate the innings. Even as the run rate had shot up to 10 runs an overs with 17 overs remaining, India still looked in the hunt. Yet again, Haddin came up with a moment of brilliance. Rahane had got a slight edge to a delivery. The Australian fielders didn’t look to convinced. Haddin, who took the catch behind the stumps, insisted on a referral. The move worked, sniko caught the edhe and the on-field umpire Kumar Dharmasena had to reverse the decision.
Earlier in the day, Australia skipper Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat. The drop-in pitch at the SCG had some pace and offered good bounce. Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav, the new-ball pair for India had the Australian openers on the backfoot with the speed they managed to generate.
David Warner couldn’t last long. The ball is pitched slightly short of good length and Warner checks his pull shot at the last moment. The ball takes the leading edge of the bat and lobs straight to Virat Kohli. The dangerman was gone and the SCG crowd, majorly dominated by the blue wave, erupted. However, for much part of the first innings that remained India’s only moment of celebration.
Steve Smith who walked out to bat at No 3, played along smoothly. He carried on from where he had left against the Indians in the Carlton MID tri-series. He shuffled across the crease, toyed with the field placement and looked impossible to beat.
Aaron Finch, at the other end was playing an unconventional knock. He was scratchy and patient. Together they put on 182 runs for the second wicket. In the process of their partnership, Finch brought up his seventh half-century while Smith had raced past his hundred. Bowlers were left with little to do on a pitch that had eased out for shot making.
Ravinchandran Ashwin held one end, bowling seven consecutive overs quite economically. He didn’t allow the batsmen too much room for shot-making. But it was Umesh Yadav’s pace which eventually undid Smith. Smith tries to play a hook shot to a head-high bouncer, but ends up holing up to the fielder at fine leg.
India strike and with it begin the Australian slide. Glenn Maxwell was promoted higher up in the order to take advantage of the batting powerplay. The all-rounder, Australia’s highest run-scorer in the tournament coming into the match, does well to clear the ropes once and find the fence thrice. Ashwin, with whom Maxwell has enjoyed a decently long rivalry across shores is brought on to the attack. In a bid to sweep the off-spinner, Maxwell ends up finding Ajinkya Rahane at fine leg.
Finch falls soon after, leaving two new batsmen at the crease – Clarke and Shane Watson. The two-most experienced players in the middle find it tough to score at a good rate. With around 10 overs remaining in the match, Indian bowlers are having a goo time. Run rate is under check and wickets are falling at regular intervals. Their painfully paced innings is brought to an end by Mohit Sharma.
James Faulkner, hits a few big shots, but does no serious damage. Brad Haddin is at the crease, but can’t find the boundaries. Mitchell Johnson proves to be the answer for Austyralia with the bat. He starts off with three consecutive boundaries. By the end of 50 overs, he manages to remain unbeaten on 27 off 13 balls – a knock that included four boundaries and a six.
Australia are now set to meet co-hosts New Zealand in the final of the ICC World Cup 2015 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Sunday. The trans-Tasmanian rivals have been the two best sides in the competition and have deservingly booked their place in the final.
