T20 World Cup: India set up England semi-final as Rohit Sharma fires against Australia

24 June 2024, 13:56 | Updated: 25 June 2024, 10:07

Rohit Sharma struck a stunning 92 from 41 balls as India beat Australia by 24 runs to set up a T20 World Cup semi-final against England.

Australia, left on the brink of elimination with their defeat, had their exit confirmed when Afghanistan beat Bangladesh by only eight runs in a dramatic final match of the Super 8s.

India captain Rohit - who hit eight sixes, including his 200th in T20 internationals - raced to fifty off just 19 balls and looked on course for a sixth ton before being bowled by Mitchell Starc, the player he had crunched for four sixes and one four in a 29-run third over in St Lucia.

The skipper's innings underpinned India's 205-5, a total the 2007 champions would perhaps have hoped to better after being 127-2 in 11 overs with Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav (31 off 16) at the crease, but they went on to score only 43 runs from the final five.

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In reply, Travis Head (76 off 43) fired for Australia, helping his side to 125-2 after 12 overs as he and captain Mitchell Marsh (37 off 28) crunched a second-wicket partnership of 81 from 48 deliveries, one which was snapped in stunning style in the ninth over as Axar Patel caught Marsh one-handed at deep square leg.

But Australia faded once Glenn Maxwell (20 off 12) was dismissed by Kuldeep Yadav (2-24) at the start of the 14th, with the 2021 champions only mustering 181-7 in Gros Islet as India took top spot in Group 1 to set up a Thursday date with England in Guyana (3.30pm).

Meanwhile, Afghanistan reached a first-ever World Cup semi-final courtesy of their Group 2 victory over Bangladesh which in turn knocked Australia out of the T20 tournament. They meet South Africa in the first semi-final in Trinidad (1.30am Thursday).

There is no reserve day available for the second semi-final between England and India - although an extra 250 minutes is available on the scheduled day - so if the game cannot be completed due to weather India will advance by virtue of topping their Super 8s pool.

Reigning champions England decimated a timid India by eight wickets in the 2022 semi-finals in Adelaide but will come up against a more aggressive side now - one unbeaten in this tournament - with captain Rohit leading that shift in mindset.

Rohit racks up runs in India win over Australia

After seeing opening partner Virat Kohli (0) caught on the pull off Australia quick Josh Hazlewood (1-14) in the second over - Kohli is averaging 11 across six knocks in the tournament with two ducks and a best of 37 - Rohit exploded in the third, hitting Starc (2-45) for sixes over cover, point, midwicket and deep third and four over mid-on.

He then mowed Pat Cummins over midwicket for a 100m six moments before a rain delay and clinched his half-century - the fastest in this World Cup, ahead of the 22-ball efforts from USA's Aaron Jones and South Africa's Quinton de Kock - upon the restart.

Rohit tucked into Marcus Stoinis (2-56) as well, with three boundaries in a row in the eighth over including sixes over deep backward square and cover, but his knock was ended when he deflected a Starc yorker onto his stumps in the 12th.

Shivam Dube (28 off 22) hit Starc's next ball to the fence but India could only manage eight further sixes or fours from that point - Hardik Pandya (27no off 17) nailing two maximums on the trot off Stoinis in the 19th over after being dropped by Marsh at backward point on five - with Starc, Hazlewood, Cummins (0-48) and Adam Zampa (0-41) largely restricting their opponents.

Australia lost David Warner - in what is potentially his last game for his country - in the first over of the chase as the veteran opener snicked Arshdeep Singh (3-37) to Suryakumar at slip for six, only for Marsh and Head to hammer a fifty partnership.

Even when Axar's brilliance on the rope removed Marsh, Australia continued to charge for a while - Head cinching a 24-ball half-century with a four off Hardik and Maxwell powering three boundaries off Ravindra Jadeja in the 11th over.

However, Maxwell was then bowled dancing down the pitch at Kuldeep before Stoinis reverse-swept Axar to point and the innings hit the skids.

What's next?

Afghanistan face South Africa in the first semi-final in Trinidad (Thursday, 1.30am UK and Ireland), with the Proteas having topped Group 2 of the Super 8s ahead of England.

India took top spot in Group 1 and in doing so set up a Thursday date with England in Guyana (3.30pm).

There is no reserve day available for the second semi-final between England and India - although an extra 250 minutes is available on the scheduled day - so if the game cannot be completed due to weather India will advance by virtue of topping their Super 8s pool.

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