Australia Champions showed their class yet again as they came back from the brink to beat India Champions by 4 wickets with a ball to spare. The defending champions India had their moments but crashed to a shocking loss from a winning position. Batting first, India rode on Shikhar Dhawan’s classic 91* off 60 balls and Yusuf Pathan’s 52* off 23 balls to post 203/4 in 20 overs.
Chasing 204 for the win, Australia were in trouble at 65/4 but recovered thanks to Callum Ferguson‘s 70* off 38 balls and others playing quick cameos around him to get over the line with a ball to spare. India were shoddy on the field as dropped catches came back to haunt them and it’s going to be difficult for the Men in Blue to qualify for the semi-finals from this position.
Shikhar Dhawan’s classy 91* propels India to 203/4
Put into bat first, Indian openers Shikhar Dhawan and Robin Uthappa walked out to the middle. Dhawan made his intentions clear by hitting Brett Lee for a boundary to get himself going in the first over. Peter Siddle was greeted by a maximum from Robin Uthappa who survived a miscommunication as the ball missed the stumps. Uthappa then took on Lee and hit him for a maximum before Dhawan hit him for another boundary. Uthappa showed deft touch and hit him for a boundary at third man.
Steve O’Keefe was introduced into the attack and was hit for a boundary by Robin Uthappa. Nathan Coulter-Nile also bore the brunt of Uthappa as the right-hander hit him for a boundary followed by a maximum as India raced to 57 in 5 overs. Daniel Christian came into the attack and got rid of Robin Uthappa for 37 off 21 balls with 3 fours and 3 sixes to his name.
Christian pitched the ball up around off, Uthappa looked to lift it over the bowler’s head but got an outside edge as the ball shaped away. Good catch taken by keeper Ben Dunk. Ambati Rayudu came in at 3 and fell soon after for a silver duck as Christian had two in the over. He bowled a good length delivery around off nipping into the batter but holds its line after pitching. Rayudu went deep into the crease and behind the line of the ball. He failed to dab it away as the ball beat him on the outside edge and crashed on the top of the off-stump. Suresh Raina came in next at 4 and got off the mark.
Shikhar Dhawan got a boundary away through the covers as India at the end of the powerplay are 62/2 in 6 overs. Peter Siddle bowled a tight over while Dhawan took on Christian hitting him for two boundaries in the over. Steve O’Keefe bowled another tight over as runs were coming in singles. Nathan Coulter-Nile gave away 6 runs in the 10th over. At the halfway stage of the innings, India Champions were 88/2 in 10 overs.
Captain Brett Lee came back into the attack and picked up the prized scalp of Suresh Raina for 11 off 11 balls. Lee bowled a short of a length around off angling away from the left-hander. The batter stood tall and tried to drag it across with a pull but the ball took the top edge and flew towards Steve O’Keefe at backward point. Captain Yuvraj Singh came out to bat next. Dhawan got a boundary away off Christian as India brought up their 100 in 11.4 overs.
D’Arcy Short came into the attack and struck gold as he dismissed Yuvraj Singh for 3 off 4 balls. Short bowled a slower one on full googly, Yuvraj looked to hit it over the boundary but was unable to connect it. The ball carried to Nathan Coulter-Nile at long-off who took it easily. Yusuf Pathan walked out to bat next. Soon, Shikhar Dhawan completed his half-century off 38 balls by hitting a boundary off D’Arcy Short.
Dhawan was not ready to slow down as he hit Coulter-Nile for a boundary crisply. Dhawan took on Steve O’Keefe and hit him for another boundary while Yusuf dealt in singles at this stage. At the end of 15 overs, India were 130/4. Dhawan then targeted Peter Siddle hitting his first ball for a boundary. Dhawan survived a close caught behind shout as the umpire shook his head. Yusuf Pathan joined in the party now as he hit Christian for two consecutive boundaries to start the 17th over.
Nathan was the next one to be in the firing line as Yusuf launched him out of the stadium for the maximum before going off strike. Dhawan piled it on by smashing a maximum and then a boundary as Coulter-Nile felt the pinch. 20 came off the 18th over. Brett Lee was next in line to be targeted as Yusuf hit a hat-trick of sixes and followed that up with a boundary to complete his fifty off 21 balls. 26 came off this 19th over as India had reached 195/4 in 19 overs.
The final over was a decent one from Peter Siddle until the final ball of the innings was hit for a boundary by Dhawan. 8 came off the final over as India brought up their 200 and finished with 203/4 in 20 overs. Dhawan’s 91* off 60 balls consisted off 12 fours and a six while Yusuf’s 52* off 23 balls was laced with 3 fours and 4 sixes. 9 extras were given by the Australians.
Daniel Christian was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/34 in 4 overs. Brett Lee picked up a wicket but went for 57 in 4 overs. D’Arcy Short bowled a single over and gave away 7 runs to pick up a wicket. Peter Siddle bowled a miserly spell of 0/27 in 4 overs. The rest were a tad expensive and did not pick up a wicket. It meant Australia Champions needed 204 to win this match and keep their unbeaten record going.
Callum Ferguson’s magnificent 70* stuns India in a thriller
Shaun Marsh and Chris Lynn walked out to bat in the chase of 204. Shikhar Dhawan was replaced by Pawan Negi as an Impact Substitute. Lynn made his intentions clear by smashing Vinay Kumar for the maximum in the first over. Siddarth Kaul shared the new ball and was put away with disdain by Lynn as the right-hander hit him for a boundary followed by two consecutive sixes to give Australia the head start in the chase.
Veteran spinner Harbhajan Singh came into the attack and struck for India getting rid of Lynn for 25 off 10 balls with a boundary and 3 sixes to his name. Harbhajan bowls a length ball at the stumps which forced Lynn to come forward and defend it. But he misses it completely. A hint of turn and crashed into the stumps as over the wicket angle suited the veteran spinner. D’Arcy Short was the next man coming in and he hit Harbhajan away for a boundary to get off the mark.
Yusuf Pathan was introduced into the attack and he was dispatched for a boundary by Shaun Marsh. Harbhajan gave away 4 byes to Shaun Marsh. Piyush Chawla came into the attack and knocked Shaun Marsh over for 11 off 15 balls with a boundary to his name. Piyush dragged the length back at the off-stump. Marsh went for a back foot punch through the covers. The ball stayed a little low than expected with a hint of turning in. Marsh got an inside edge that deflected back onto the base of his off-stump to clip the bails off. Ben Dunk came into bat next and was dismissed first ball for a golden duck.
Chawla bowled a length delivery outside off. The googly turned away from Ben Dunk. Dunk tried to cut it away but mistimed it. It took the thin under edge off his bat and Robin Uthappa took a good low catch. Daniel Christian came out to bat next. Christian survived the hat-trick ball as an appeal for LBW was turned down by the umpire. At the end of the powerplay, Australia were 52/3 in 6 overs.
Short punished some looseners from Harbhajan and hit him for 2 boundaries in 3 balls. But Chawla dismissed Short soon after for 20 off 15 balls with 3 boundaries to his name. Chawla bowled a fullish delivery at the off-stump. Short looked to whip it towards the on side but the bat face gets closed early and it loops up off the splice end. Pawan Negi settled underneath it and took the catch at extra cover. Callum Ferguson came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary to end the 8th over.
Impact Player Pawan Negi was introduced into the attack and was greeted with a boundary from Christian. Callum Ferguson got into the act as he dispatched Piyush Chawla for the maximum. At the end of 10 overs at the halfway stage of the innings, Australia were 86/4. Negi bowled a tight over as India tried to tighten the screws.
Vinay Kumar was brought back and he was dispatched for a boundary by Christian and a maximum off Ferguson as the 100 came up for Australia in 11.4 overs. Callum Ferguson was then dropped by Gurkeerat Singh Mann at deep midwicket off Vinay while Harbhajan at deep square leg misfielded a ball and allowed Christian to get a boundary.
Negi bowled another tight over while Ferguson hit Chawla for a cracking boundary. Siddarth Kaul then dropped Ferguson at deep midwicket as India were sloppy on the field. Christian added insult to injury by hitting Chawla for a maximum and followed that up with another boundary. Kaul came back into the attack and was taken to the cleaners as Ferguson hit him for a six followed by a boundary off the first two balls of the over. He followed it up with another boundary as 17 came off the over. Australia were 145/4 in 15 overs and required 59 off the last 5 overs.
Ferguson soon completed his half-century off 26 balls with a cracking boundary off Pawan Negi. Christian too got a boundary away off Negi as the impact sub completed his miserly spell. Vinay Kumar provided India the breakthrough as he dismissed Daniel Christian for 39 off 28 balls with 5 fours and a six to his name. Length ball around off, Christian heaved it towards cow corner and hit it straight to Pawan Negi who made no mistake. Ben Cutting was the next batter to the crease.
There was a no ball by Vinay but thankfully no damage off the free hit as Australia needed 40 runs off 18 balls. Ben Cutting took the matter in his own hands smashing Harbhajan Singh for consecutive sixes to put the pressure back on India. But the Turbanator hit back by getting rid of Cutting for 15 off 6 balls with 2 sixes to his name. Harbhajan bowled a doosra fullish in length and at the off-stump. It came slowly after pitching and Cutting went for the big hit. All he managed was get a top edge which Uthappa takes it with gloves on going to his left. Impact Player Rob Quiney came out to bat next and got off the mark.
Vinay Kumar bowled the 19th over and Australia kept the scoreboard ticking with 2s and 3s before a contentious wide call displeased India. The extra ball went away for a boundary by Quiney as 13 runs came in the over. Australia now needed 13 off the final over with Irfan Pathan who hadn’t bowled a ball this game getting an opportunity to bowl.
Irfan started with a wide and a leg bye before Quiney hit him for a maximum. Pathan then bowled a no ball for height as the 200 came up for Australia. Quiney took a single off a free hit. Ferguson played a dot ball before dispatching the 5th ball for maximum and winning the game for his side. The ball was bowled at middle stump fuller in length, Ferguson cleared his front leg to heave it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Ferguson’s 70* off 38 balls had 5 fours and 4 sixes in it while Quiney’s 16* off 8 balls had 1 four and 1 six in it. 11 extras given by India as victory was achieved in 19.5 overs.
For India, Piyush Chawla was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/36 in 4 overs. Harbhajan Singh supported him for his 2/33 in 4 overs. Vinay Kumar picked up a wicket for his 1/47 in 4 overs. Pawan Negi bowled a miserly spell of 0/27 in 4 overs. The rest went the distance. So, Australia Champions win by 4 wickets and for his swashbuckling 70* off 38 balls, Callum Ferguson was awarded the Player of the Match Award.
What Lies Ahead
With this win, Australia Champions have garnered 5 points from 3 games still unbeaten thanks to a no result against England for them. Australia are in 3rd place while India Champions who are the defending champions as well are at the bottom with 1 point from 3 games. Two games coming your way on Super Sunday. First up, it’s South Africa vs Australia at 5 PM IST followed by India vs England at 9 PM IST. Both matches from Leeds, Headingly.
The tournament is reaching its business end and all matches will be important as the race to the semis heats up with every game from here. Exciting times ahead as the legends are set to dazzle again.
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