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28 March 2024

Masterful Kohli carries India to World T20 semifinals

Published
By Cricket Correspondent and Agencies

Virat Kohli smashed a masterful 82 to guide India to a six-wicket win against Australia in their final World Twenty20 Super 10 game on Sunday and set up a semi-final against West Indies in Mumbai.

Kohli resurrected India with his unbeaten 51-ball knock from a seemingly tricky position as the hosts sprinted home in the end with five balls to spare.

"That performance certainly has to be in my top three but probably it is top right now because I'm a bit emotional," said Kohli.

"A lot was riding on us playing at home and with the crowd you want to give them as much entertainment as possible."

India's bowlers pulled Australia back from a blistering start to restrict them to 160 for six wickets after Australia won the toss and opted to bat.

Hosts India, inaugural World T20 champions in 2007, and reigning 50-over title holders Australia had won two matches each, with their only loss coming against New Zealand in the Super 10 stage.

New Zealand face England in the other semi-final.

India needed 39 from the last three overs when Kohli decided to show his class which has earned him accolades as one of the world's best current batsmen.

He smashed James Faulkner, who took Australia's best T20 figures during a five-wicket haul in the last match, for two fours and a six as the left-arm paceman leaked 19 runs.

Kohli then hit Nathan Coulter-Nile for four boundaries in the next over to bring down India's target to just four runs off the final six balls with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni finishing it off with another four off Faulkner.

Earlier, Australia's Aaron Finch (43) and Usman Khawaja (26) smashed the bowlers to all corners of the ground after Smith decided to bat on a pitch that was used for the women's game between India and West Indies earlier on Sunday.

Left-handed Khawaja's first six scoring shots were all boundaries, four of them coming against paceman Jasprit Bumrah in one over, with Australia racing past 50 before the completion of the fourth over.

Finch, Australia's captain in the format before he was replaced by Smith shortly before the tournament, then launched into India's bowling mainstay Ravichandran Ashwin, hitting the off-spinner for two consecutive sixes over long-on.

But some smart bowling from left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja and part-timers Yuvraj Singh and Hardik Pandya, who picked up two wickets, in the middle overs halted Australia's progress as they struggled to hit the boundaries.

Dangerman Glenn Maxwell (31) took his time at the crease but got out just as he started opening his arms.

Wicketkeeper Peter Nevill smashed Pandya for a four and a six off the last two balls as Australia, yet to win the World T20 title, took 15 runs in their final over to ensure India had to score more than eight runs an over in their chase.

India have beaten Australia by six wicket to book their berth in the semifinals of the World T20 thanks to a brilliant unbeaten half century by Virat Kohli (82).

Chasing a target of 161, India won with five balls to spare with Dhoni hitting the winning boundary off Faulkner who went for 19 in the 18th over while Coulter-Nile went for 16 in the 19th.

India finished on 161-4 with Kohli's 51-ball knock being laced with nine boundaries and two sixes

Coulter-Nile has been slammed for four boundaries by the brilliant Kohli who is leading India to a famous victory. Ind 157-4, 19 overs.

India need 20 off 12 balls.

Faulkner goes for 19 as Kohli cracks a couple of boundaries and a thundering six. Ind 141-4, 18 overs.

Kohli has completed his 50 off 39 balls.

Dhoni hooks a bouncer from Watson to square leg. Ind 102-4, 15 overs.

Watson takes a superb catch as Yuvraj miscues a shot off Faulkner. Ind 94-4, 14 overs.

Yuvraj Singh c Watson b Faulkner 21 (18b 1x4 1x6)

An ailing Yuvraj has smashed a full toss from Zampa for a six. Ind 89-3, 13 overs.

Kohli slams Maxwell of long off for a six. Ind 80-3, 12 overs.

Yuvraj is having trouble with his leg getting treatment. Ind 59-3, 9 overs.

Another bouncer does the trick as Raina nicks it behind. Ind 49-3, 7.4 overs.

Suresh Raina c Nevill b Watson 10 (7b 1x4)

Watson strikes knocking out the stumps of Rohit. Ind 37-2, 5.5 overs.

Rohit Sharma b Watson 12 (17b 1x4)

Kohli gets going by cracking two consecutive boundaries off Hazlewood. Ind 34-1, 5 overs.

Coulter-Nile strikes bouncing out Dhawan who top edges to short fine leg. Ind 23-1, 3.5 overs.

Shikhar Dhawan c Khawaja b Coulter-Nile 13 (12b 1x4 1x6)

Dhawan sends Hazlewood sailing over square leg for the first six of the innings. Ind 18-0, 3 overs.

Dhawan drives Hazlewood through the offside for a boundary as India begin chasing 161. Ind 7-0, 1 over.

Australia innings

Nevill scoops a boundary and hammers a six off Pandya to lift Australia to 160-6.

Pandya has struck again in the final over as Faulkner mistimes a lofted drive. Aus 145-6, 19.1 overs.

James Faulkner c Kohli b Pandya 10 (10b 1x4)

Maxwell hammers a boundary and six with a reverse sweep off Jadeja but is castled in the next over by Bumrah as he swings widly. Aus 130-5, 16.3 overs.

Glenn Maxwell b Bumrah 31 (28b 1x4 1x6)

Pandya strikes after being hammered for a boundary by Finch who miscues to midwicket. Aus 100-4, 13 overs.

Aaron Finch c Dhawan b Pandya 43 (34b 3x4 2x6)

Smith is unhappy after being adjudged caught behind off Yuvraj's first delivery. Aus 74-3, 9.1 overs.

Steven Smith c Dhoni b Yuvraj Singh 2 (6b)

Ashwin has struck in his second over as Warner wanders out of his crease and is beaten. Aus 72-2, 7.5 overs.

David Warner st Dhoni b Ashwin 6 (9b)

Nehra draws first blood removing Khawaja with Dhoni latching on to an edge which seem to fly past him. Aus 54-1, 4.2 overs.

Usman Khawaja c Dhoni b Nehra 26 (16b 6x4)

Finch is on fire pummelling two massive sixes off Ashwin who also concedes four wides under pressure. Aus 53-0, 4 overs.

Finch punches Nehra through point for his first boundary while Khawaja seems to be dealing in boundaries. Aus 31-0, 3 overs.

Khawaja has pulled Bumrah for three consecutive boundaries. Aus 21-0, 2 overs.

Khawaja pulls the first ball from Nehra to the square leg fence. Aus 4-0, 1 over.

Steve Smith has won the toss and has not hesitation in batting first in the crunch game against India.

Australia and India are unchanged.

Preview

With a place in the semi-finals at stake, sparks may fly again in Sunday's mouth-watering contest at Mohali between inaugural T20 champions India and reigning 50-over world champions Australia.

It will be a virtual quarter-final after a red-hot New Zealand stormed into the last four with a hat-trick of wins, leaving India and Australia vying for the second semi-final slot from Group Two.

Both suffered their only defeats against the rampaging Kiwis and are level on points which means it would be a knock-out contest with the winner of Sunday's match advancing to the business end of the tournament.

India's batting mainstay Virat Kohli suggested Australia will make the grave mistake of adding "fuel to fire" if they needle him in Sunday's win-or-bust World Twenty20 contest but asserted he is good enough to excel without provocations.

A self-admitted admirer, as well as practitioner, of Australia's passionate, aggressive brand of cricket, it was almost inevitable that the 27-year-old has featured in several on-field spats with them.

"I've always said that I sort of thrive on those situations," Kohli told reporters on Friday. "But you just can't go in with that sort of mindset only. You need to be versatile..."

"If I get into a debate with anyone, if I have to take a certain stance, that doesn't necessarily put me off my game. If anything, that motivates me more," said India's test captain.

"It doesn't mean if I don't get into a debate with someone, I won't be motivated to win the game for my team.

"It's better to plan your innings without that situation and if that situation comes in, you have to take in as more fuel to the fire."

Kohli gave an animated send-off to Steve Smith in an Adelaide T20 earlier this year while the Indian also featured in an on-field spat with James Faulkner, telling the Australian all-rounder "I've smashed you enough in my life".

He, however, has enough respect for rival captain Smith, who anchors Australia's top order teeming otherwise with power-hitters.

"Obviously he's been a very important player for Australia," Kohli said. "The way their batting unit works, someone like Steve Smith gives them solidity in the middle order which is great for any team.

"If we can have a person who can play the least number of dot balls and still keep the scoreboard ticking while the others are having a go at a few bowler, it always helps as a batting unit."

Kohli acknowledged Smith's class but was optimistic his bowling colleagues can silence the right-hander.

"You want to get everyone's wicket... but top quality players around the world tend to have answers for them more often than not.

"You just have to make life as difficult as possible for them and take up the challenge that 'yes, he is a very good player, he is a world class player but I am going to take his wicket today'."

Simply

Retiring Australia all-rounder is unfazed by the magnitude of the occasion looking at it simply.

"I've played in games where the game is really based on the run rate and I've had some bad experiences with that," Watson, who will quit international cricket after the tournament, told reporters.

"It's good that it's basically come down to us winning. It's a simple equation. We know we are going to have to be at our absolute best against India."

Every do-or-die match brings its own tension and the 34-year-old has seen enough in his 14-year-old international career to learn the virtue of calmness.

"It certainly gets you up for the game. Knockout games certainly you've got to be just as calm as you possibly can. I suppose that's what I've learnt over my whole career," Watson said.

"If you can stay calm and hold your nerve as long as you possibly can - normally there is a little bit of chaos in a knockout game - you've just got to try and not build it up any more than it is even though it's a big game."

Sunday's contest could well be his last in an Australian shirt.

"From my personal perspective to have the opportunity to play in what is hopefully not but what could be my last game...this is I suppose as big a dream as you could imagine, playing India at home," Watson said.

"It's certainly going to be a huge game and I'm going to be really excited for it."