India advances to T20 World Cup semi-finals with win over Australia

India has clinched a spot in the T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals after a thrilling 24-run victory against Australia in their final Super 8 match held at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St. Lucia on Monday. The win sets up a high-stakes semi-final clash against England on June 27 at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.

Kuldeep Yadav was the standout performer for India, delivering an economical spell of 2 for 24 in his four overs, which played a crucial role in curtailing Australia's chase. His performance, combined with timely wickets from Arshdeep Singh and Jasprit Bumrah, ensured that Australia fell short of their target.

Chasing 206 for victory, Australia stumbled early as David Warner was dismissed in the first over. Despite a solid partnership between Travis Head and captain Mitchell Marsh, which added 81 runs and gave Australia a fighting chance, wickets continued to tumble.

Marsh's departure, caught brilliantly by Axar Patel off Yadav, was a significant setback. Glenn Maxwell's inability to build a substantial innings, falling to a Yadav googly, further dented Australia's hopes. The critical blow came when Bumrah dismissed Travis Head in the 17th over, effectively sealing Australia's fate. They ended their innings at 181 for 7.

India's innings was spearheaded by captain Rohit Sharma, who played a sensational knock, scoring 92 off just 41 balls. Sharma's innings, featuring seven fours and eight sixes, set the foundation for India's total of 205 for 5. His explosive batting, especially his assault on Mitchell Starc, where he scored 29 runs in a single over, was the highlight of the match. Sharma's knock not only guided India to a formidable total but also saw him become the leading run-scorer in T20Is and the player with the most sixes in T20 World Cup history.

Despite an early setback with the dismissal of Virat Kohli for a duck, Sharma's aggressive approach ensured that India kept the scoreboard ticking. Contributions from Suryakumar Yadav, who scored a quick 31 off 16 balls, and Shivam Dube, who added 28 off 22, provided crucial support. Hardik Pandya's late flurry of 27 runs from 17 balls helped India set a challenging target.

On the bowling front, Mitchell Starc and Marcus Stoinis each took two wickets for Australia, while Josh Hazlewood picked up one. However, Pat Cummins and Adam Zampa went wicketless, unable to make significant inroads into the Indian batting lineup.

With this victory, India has not only secured a place in the semi-finals but also sent a strong message to their opponents. Their next challenge will be against England, a match that promises to be an exciting contest as both teams vie for a spot in the final.