Key events
10th over: Australia 99-2 (Head 54, Maxwell 0) Travis Head targets Hardik Pandya again, rocking back and cutting for four before an Axar misfield at long-leg (sublime to the… lackadaisical) gifts four more to see Head bring up FIFTY off 25 balls. His second of the tournament – the moustachioed one is keeping Australia in the fight once more.
Here’s a still of the Axar catch. That is his non dominant hand and the ball was tracing through the sky off the middle of Marsh’s blade.
9th over: Australia 87-2 (Head 42, Maxwell) Glenn Maxwell is in at number four, Australia need him at his bombastic best right now. He’ll be at the non-striker’s end as Hardik begins a new over to Head.
WICKET! Mitchell Marsh c Patel b Kuldeep Yadav 37 (Australia 87-2)
WHAT A CATCH! Mitch Marsh nails a slog sweep off Yadav but doesn’t count on Axar patel leaping like a tickled salmon, timing his jump to perfection and hauling in the catch with two hands on the boundary edge. This isn’t hyperbole – I reckon that is catch of the tournament. Huge moment too as Marsh has to depart.
8th over: Australia 83-1 (Marsh 35, Head 40) Hardik is given another. I think I might have gone for some Zampa but WhaddIknow? Nuthin’. Well – maybe a little – Head pulverizes a slower ball down the ground baseball style and follows up with a hack across the line to a back of a length ball that gets it Donovan* on and soars over the sponge for SIX.
Fourteen off the over. 123 needed from 72 balls.
That one’s for you, if you are reading, ma.
7th over: Australia 69-1 (Marsh 34, Head 27) Kuldeep Yadav coming on to open his box of tricks. Crucial period in the game incoming – the difficult second album tricky middle overs. Well bowled, Yadav holds his nerve against these two muscular Aussie’s and limits them to just four runs off his first over. A quieter over (anything less than eight runs…) really brings the pressure back on to Australia.
6th over: Australia 65-1 (Marsh 31, Head 26) Hardik Pandya replaces Bumrah. He’s been very effective for India with the ball in this tournament. Head smears him over long on for SIX third ball. Hardik does well for the next three balls – following Head as he moves around the crease trying to create room to free his arms. Nailed that one though, Head stands still and plonks a straight ball down the ground for a towering SIX.
Australia are up with the rate in St Lucia. Game on!
5th over: Australia 48-1 (Marsh 28 , Head 13) Axar Patel is given the nod by Rohit. Left-arm darts incoming. Two dots to Marsh. Something’s gotta give – sure enough – Marsh gets under a length pall and paddles it for SIX down to fine leg. An imposing sweep brings Marsh four more and he collects a brace with a controlled swipe to leg. 158 needed from 90 balls.
4th over: Australia 36-1 (Marsh 16, Head 13) Counter-punch from Australia. Head spanks Bumrah for three fours, stepping away to leg and flaying through the off side. Jasprit looking for some swing that isn’t there and serving up a full toss for the third boundary. Another decent over from Australia – Fourteen off it.
3rd over: Australia 22-1 (Marsh 15, Head 0) Marsh steers Arshdeep away for a couple of boundaries off the third over – he needs to deliver the ultimate captain’s knock here. That’ll help – Marsh rocks back and deposits a shorter ball into the crowd for Australia’s first SIX of the innings. Fourteen runs off the over.
Meanwhile – M’esteemed colleague TdL has been communing with the numbers:
Strange but true. #Rohit Sharma and Jos #Buttler have both faced 120 balls in this #WorldCup – a whole T20 innings. And they’ve both made 191 runs – a big T20 score. In the list of fastest scorers (min 50 runs) they are 8th=. Four other Englishmen in the top 10, no other Indians
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) June 24, 2024
2nd over: Australia 8-1 (Marsh 1, Head 0) Here comes Jasprit Bumrah. Not what you need with a big chase round your neck and a world cup semi-final slipping out of reach. A short ball nearly sees the end of Marsh who flaps at it somewhat but Pant can’t get round to the looping catch before it drops onto the turf. Just two runs off the over. All India at the moment.
1st over: Australia 6-1 (Marsh 0, Head 0) Travis Head joins Marsh in the middle, strife for the Aussies early on.
WICKET! Warner c Yadav b Arshdeep Singh 6 (Australia 6-1)
Arshdeep gets Warner caught at slip off his sixth delivery! Not the start Australia wanted at all. Safe hands at slip by Suryakumar Yadav who had to pull out the dive. Textbook away swinger to the left hander, Warner fenced and then hung his head. He hung his head.
Quick turnaround – here come the Aussie batters!
That didn’t exactly go to plan for Mitch Marsh’s side after the Aussie skipper won the toss and asked India to have a bat. A big task coming up for their batting line up against Bumrah et al.
If Australia chase this in 17.4 overs or fewer, they will qualify for the T20 World Cup semi-finals
— Ben Gardner (@Ben_Wisden) June 24, 2024
India set Australia 206 runs to win.
Pat Cummins strays into Jadeja’s swinging arc and is clobbered over midwicket for a SIX that brings up the TWO HUNDRED for India. In the end Cummins does well to keep it to ten runs off the final over.
20th over: India 205-5 (Pandya 27, Jadeja 9)
19th over: India 195-5 (Pandya 25, Jadeja 1) Fourteen runs and the wicket off the penultimate over. Six balls to go in the innings – Pat Cummins is being tasked with the final over for Australia.
WICKET! Dube c Warner b Stoinis 28 (India 194-5)
Hardik takes a single and Dube holes out next ball! Action packed.
Stoinis to Pandya. Amazing shot! A no-look pirouette smash over cover for SIX! Follows up with anpther SIX hammered over long on!
18th over: India 181-4 (Dube 28, Pandya 12) Pat Cummins returns for his third over. Australia could do with another hat-trick from him right about now. Hardik and Dube deal in singles, before a short ball is overhead smashed away Sampras style by Hardik Pandya. Remarkable shot and breaks the shackles a little for India. Ten off the over in total – twelve balls to come in the innings.
17th over: India 171-4 (Dube 24, Pandya 6) DROP! What has happened to Australia’s catching in this tournament?! Mitch Marsh shells Pandya at backward point and it’s an epic goob. Another decent over from Australia in the back end, just five runs added to the India total. The last three overs have only gone for sixteen. Tide turning with three overs to go?
16th over: India 166-4 (Dube 21, Pandya 4) Josh Hazlewood deserves a big tip of the hat. He finishes with 1-14 off his four overs which feels like a remarkable triumph in the circumstances. Just four singles off his final over as he mixes up his pace and length very effectively.
15th over: India 162-4 (Dube 19, Pandya 2) Hardik Pandya arrives in the middle. Can Australia curtail the carnage?
WICKET! Yadav c Wade b Starc 31 (India 159-4)
Starc picks up Yadav with a wide one that he takes the pace off, a cue end flying to Matt Wade behind the stumps.
14th over: India 155-3 (Yadav 27, Dube 18) Suryakumar launches a length ball from Stoinis back down the ground for SIX. Singles worked effortlessly and boundaries found with ease. Dube crunches a full one through mid on for four. 13 runs off the over – India going at over eleven runs an over and still have six overs left. That sound is the nervous clacking of a collection of Aussie fans as they type in ‘what is the highest ever T20I total ever?’.
13th over: India 142-3 (Yadav 19, Dube 13) Zampa tries to stem the flow after Sharma’s dismissal but new man Shivam Dube is carrying the torch, slog sweeping nonchalantly for a big SIX onto the grass banks. It felt like a quiet over in the grand scheme but still went for 11.
12th over: India 131-3 (Yadav 17, Dube 4) Shivam Dube is the new man. More of the same – a length ball from Starc is guided away for for first ball. Just that boundary and the Sharma wicket off the over in the end though, breathe Australia, breathe.
WICKET! Sharma b Starc 92 (India 127-3)
Near silence descends over St Lucia as Rohit is bowled by Starc! A decent yorker in fairness, Sharma getting an inside edge onto pad and then stumps as he attempted to whip it away. My diddly days – Australia needed that. Their world cup hopes are dangling by a gossamer thread.
11th over: India 127-2 (Sharma 92, Yadav 17) Back after drinks. Australia have had just enough time to lick their wounds and chug some Gatorade. Cummins is worked through the on side by Yadav for four and then driven high and long over extra cover for SIX. I’m running out of words. I know this is my one job but… bbbut seriously, this is mind-boggling batting from India.
10th over: India 114-2 (Sharma 89, Yadav 7) Sharma pulls Stoinis for four and then clubs behind square for another boundary! He’s onto 89 off just 37 balls. 76 of ‘em have come in boundaries. Incredible batting. Twelve runs in total off the over. Australia need a BIG drink.
9th over: India 102-2 (Sharma 79, Yadav 6) Suryakumar Yadav arrives to join his captain in the middle. Three singles off Zampa before Yadav flays a full ball square for four. India bring up their hundred at flabbergasting speed – in fact I think it could be the quickest team ton on record!
Rohit’s gone berserk, causing mayhem with spectacular 6-hitting. Clearly aiming to keep Aus out of semis
— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) June 24, 2024
WICKET! Pant c Hazlewood b Stoinis 15 (India 93-2)
Rohit nudges a single to bring Pant on strike. Gone! A leading edge from Pant flies to mid-off where Hazlewood takes a comfortable catch. I wouldn’t say that the Aussies celebrate with gleeful abandon.
8th over: India 93-2 (Sharma 76)
Marcus Stoinis into the attack. You feel for the fridge chested all-rounder having to start against Rohit in this kind of form. Four! Rohit charges and pulls through midwicket. SIX! Rohit chuckles as he finds the stands once again. WOW! What.A.Shot. Rohit plays the most beautifully destructive drive on the up for SIX over cover. You will not see a more aesthetically pleasing cricket shot.
7th over: India 76-1 (Sharma 59, Pant 15) Not off the first ball… Pant clears the front leg and maaaarmalises Zampa’s first ball into the stands. Zampa tugs at his forelock mullet. Am I right in thinking the long bits of a mullet are called ‘The Cheddar’ or have I completely made that up? Let me know eh? Anyway, more thoughtful ched stroking from the bespectacled spinner as Rohit slog sweeps for a mighty SIX. Sixteen off the over, India are cruising.
Here comes Adam Zampa, can he claw back some control for Australia?
6th over: India 60-1 (Sharma 51, Pant 7) Pant was never going to be happy playing second fiddle for long. A short ball from Hazlewood is pounced on and pulled over midwicket for four. Eight in total off the over. India motoring at ten an over in the Powerplay.
5th over: India 52-1 (Sharma 50, Pant 1) Rohit brings up fifty off just 19 balls! Slashing Cummins to the point boundary and edging wide of the keeper for a bonus four. Plenty of pressure on Australia here.
Rohit going hell for leather in St Lucia: a 19-ball half-century in a game Australia (probably) need to win.
— Lawrence Booth (@BoothCricket) June 24, 2024
Rain stopped. Play to resume imminently!
Good news indeed – the players are heading back out.
The peerless Tanya Aldred is helming our county coverage:
Dan Lawrence is seeing it big:
Surrey’s Dan Lawrence hit England spinner Shoaib Bashir for five consecutive sixes to help equal the record for the number of runs conceded in a single over in the County Championship! 😮#BBCCricket pic.twitter.com/vzSnRsfKX7
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) June 24, 2024
Rain Stops Play
Gah. A shower has blown over the ground and the players scamper off. India look resistant to go, as well they might be, Rohit had just launched new bowler Pat Cummins for a towering SIX onto the corrugated roof.
4th over: India 37-1 (Sharma 35, Pant 1) Hazlewood continues. A couple of dots help the Aussie’s get their breath back. Pant tucks off his hip to steal a single and get off the mark. A hack to deep third from Rohit is the only other run off the over.
3rd over: India 35-1 (Sharma 34, Pant 0) Starc into his second. See ya! Sharma opens the shoulders and drives over extra cover for consecutive SIXES! The next ball is more of an ugly mow from Rohit but he gets it through midwicket for four. Pressure on Starc. Full, length – SIX! Rohit smears into the stands.
All too predictable from Starc. He changes things up with a slower ball that stems the flow. Not for long. A wide and then a full toss follow, the latter top edged by Sharma for SIX over the keeper’s head. 29 runs off the over – Starc’s most expensive in his T20 career. Cripes.
2nd over: India 6-0 (Sharma 5, Pant 0) Australia land the first blow. Here comes Rishabh Pant. Do not adjust your set.
WICKET! Kohli c David b Hazlewood 0 (Australia 6-1)
It’s the silver tuna! The big kahuna! Virat Kohli tries to pull a short ball from Hazlewood but is cramped for room, serving only to frying pan it in the air and into the strong breeze. Tim David takes a neat catch on the run.
Josh Hazlewood, the prince of party parsimony, to start from the other end.
1st over: India 5-0 (Sharma 5, Kohli 0) Full bunger to start from Starc and Sharma misses out, clubbing straight to the fielder at backward point. next ball is headed wide of the tramlines but Sharma gets a toe end on it to bump it behind. Brief pause whilst the third umpire has a look but it definitely bounced. On we go. Shot! Starc aims for the booming in-swinger but strays leg-side, Rohit flicks wide of mid-on for India’s first boundary. Sharma glides a single to deep third and Kohli is kept honest with two dots to complete the first over.
Righto, let’s play. Mitch Starc has the ball in hand, Rohit Sharma will face the first ball. Lift off!
How they stand:
St Lucia looks stonkingly beautiful as the players emerge for the anthems. I’d give a couple of toes to be there I reckon. Not that the sun isn’t beating down in South London. In fact, I take it all back. You can keep you show-off turquoise water and exotic rum based cocktails. I’m ecstatic with my temporary traffic lights and eye-wateringly expensive continental lager.
Geoff Lemon’s take on Afghanistan beating the Aussies is typically adroit and well worth a read before play gets underway in St Lucia in about ten minutes.
Maybe I was a little too wild in the 70s presumptuous in my my preamble? Turns out India are not completely bulletproof. Pilfering this para from the mighty Matt Roller.
“For India to get knocked out, both Australia and Afghanistan will have to win by big margins. Australia will need to beat India by 41 runs to go past them on run rate, while Afghanistan will have to beat Bangladesh by at least 83 runs.”
“Hi James”
G’day Peter Salmon.
“Sure, I’m an Australian, but I assume all neutrals will be wanting Australia to win to keep alive the remarkable possibility that they will be world champions in all three formats?”
Ah yes, I’ve just had it *officially confirmed* Pete. All neutrals are indeed rooting for Australia. (Ahem).
Teams:
Australia: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh (c), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood.
India: Rohit Sharma (capt), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Ravindra Jadeja, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.
Mitchell Starc is back in for Ashton Agar, India are unchanged from their previous two encounters.
Australia win the toss and choose to bowl first!
Mitch Marsh calls correctly and decides he wants to see India have first use of the wicket. There’s been some rain around but the conditions currently look fine, if a little blustery. Confirmed teams incoming!
Slightly cooler, cloudier morning today than most of the last week, and some heavy overnight rain – but hasn’t rained for a few hours and would expect any showers to blow through quickly
— Matt Roller (@mroller98) June 24, 2024
Preamble
James Wallace
Hello and welcome to crunch time in the T20 World Cup. Two titans go head to head today in St Lucia with Australia having it all to do to make it through to the semi-finals, their shock loss to Afghanistan put paid to any hopes of keeping things simple.
They’ve also had plenty of recent skirmishes with today’s opponents, high profile ding dongs that serve to give this one some extra needle. How so? Well Australia are looking to bag their third ICC gong after winning the fifty over World Cup and the World Test Championship last year. Who did they vanquish in both finals? You guessed it – India.
India have already booked their place in the last four along with England and South Africa. Australia need to win and avoid it going down to the wire in order to make it harder for Bangladesh or Afghanistan to best them when they meet in Kingstown later on today. We can get into the permutations shortly, safe to say they make my head rattle a bit.
I’ll be back for news of the teams and the toss shortly before play gets underway at 3.30pm BST.
