In the small town of Soufriere, located about 55 kilometers from where India faced Australia on Monday, there’s an active volcano. The fumes from its crater give the impression that the mountains are angry. On Monday, the Darren Sammy International Stadium felt just as intense, fueled by memories of the ODI World Cup final on November 19 in Ahmedabad, where Australia snatched victory from India. It was payback time.
India’s victory, orchestrated by ‘Hitman’ Rohit Sharma, secured their place in the semifinal against England on the spinner-friendly Guyana track on Thursday. Australia’s fate now rests on the outcome of the Afghanistan vs. Bangladesh match. They are out if Afghanistan wins or if Bangladesh secures a big victory.
Rohit Sharma was the architect of India’s win with a scintillating innings of 92 off 41 balls, the highlight of India’s 205 for 5. His performance on Monday was reminiscent of his mood during the World Cup final in Ahmedabad, although an outstanding catch by Travis Head had cut his innings short then. In St. Lucia, no such event could stop Rohit as he played the innings of the World Cup so far.
After Virat Kohli (0) failed once again, Rohit took charge. It began with the first ball of the third over by Mitchell Starc, a full delivery that Rohit slashed over cover for a six. Rohit smashed four sixes and a four in that over, yielding 29 runs and swinging the momentum in India’s favor. He attacked every bowler with an uncluttered mindset, hitting anything in his range over the top and pulling short deliveries with power.
By the sixth over, India was 52-1, and Rohit had already reached his 50. His innings deserved a century, but Starc, returning for his second spell, bowled a perfect yorker that clipped the inside edge of Rohit’s bat, knocking the stumps over. When Rohit was dismissed in the 11.2 overs, India was at 127. The remaining 52 balls yielded 78 runs, indicating that run-scoring wasn’t as easy as Rohit made it seem.
Australia, led by Travis Head (76 off 43 balls), attempted to chase down the target. There were moments when it seemed achievable, but left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav (2-24) bowled an outstanding spell, halting their progress. Kuldeep’s efforts were supported by a brilliant one-handed catch at deep square-leg by Axar Patel to dismiss Mitchell Marsh, a key turning point.
Even with Head still at the crease, the wickets falling around him made him increasingly impatient. Kuldeep, returning for his second spell, induced an edge from Head, and fittingly, Rohit completed the catch. The rest of the match was a mere formality, sealing a memorable victory for India and derailing Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign.
