India vs Australia Masters Highlights, International Masters League semi-final: India storm into final with 94-run win!

Irfan Pathan grabs the final wicket, getting Bryce McGain caught-behind for 3 although the Indians have to reverse umpire Billy Bowden’s original decision of ‘Not Out’ using the review as India Masters bowl Australia Masters out for 126 after setting them a challenging 221 to win in Raipur!

The Australia Masters had thrashed them by 95 runs in Vadodara on 5 March, and the India Masters bounce back a week later, winning by a margin that is nearly identical to that of the Shane Watson-led side!

Cutting smashes Pathan for back-to-back maximums with some clean hitting as Australia Masters finally breach the century mark at the start of the 15th over. Cutting later collects a four as Pathan concedes 17 in his second over.

Pawan Negi, however, keeps things tight from the other end, conceding just one in his second over. Second timeout taken after the conclusion of 16 overs. AUS M 114/8 after 16; need 107 off 24

Dunk attempts to slog-sweep Nadeem, and ends up getting a thick top-edge that offers India Masters wicketkeeper-batter Ambati Rayudu a simple catch. Excellent over from from the left-arm spinner as India Masters restrict Australia Masters to 51/3 at the end of the powerplay.

**The Aussies need another 170 to win off 84 balls with seven wickets in hand and two new batters at the crease.
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Dunk, who had scored an unbeaten 132 in Australia Masters’ previous meeting against India Masters, didn’t quite time the shot as ideally as he would have liked, nearly offering Shahbaz Nadeem a catch at deep square leg.

Nadeem, however, loses his balance at the edge of the boundary and falls over, resulting in the umpire signalling a six. Dunk and Marsh later collect two fours in a space of three balls, as Kulkarni concedes 16 in his second over. AUS-M 32/1 after 3

Australia Masters captain Watson, who has smashed three centuries in the ongoing tournament and is the leading run-scorer by a fair distance perishes for 5 off 4 deliveries as India Masters are off to a top start in the defence of their score of 220.

Excellent comeback by Vinay after getting flicked for a six by Shaun Marsh in the second delivery. AUS-M 16/1 after 2

Australia Masters captain Shane Watson, however, has his heart in his mouth for a moment after a leading edge in the first ball of the innings lands safely near backward point, allowing him to open his account with a single.

Watson later cuts the ball firmly in the final ball of the over, beating the diving fielder at midwicket to collect the first boundary of the innings. Shaun Marsh, meanwhile, opens his account with a brace. AUS-M 8/0 after 1

Nathan Coulter-Nile bowls the final over of the Indian innings and is off to a top start, removing Gurkeerat Singh Mann (1) in the first delivery as the Men in Blue lose three wickets in a space of seven deliveries.

All-rounder Irfan Pathan, however, ensures India Masters finish on a positive note with back-to-back doubles followed by a flat six straight down the ground in the final delivery

For the Aussies, Xavier Doherty (2/30) and Daniel Christian (2/40) lead the way with a couple of wickets each.IND-M 220/7 after 20

Stuart Binny departs for 36 off 21 balls, getting his stumps rattled at the start of the penultimate over. Yusuf Pathan, who’s batting on 23 off 9 balls, is trapped LBW three balls later and ends up burning a review on his way back to the dugout.

Gurkeerat Singh Mann and Irfan Pathan make their way to the centre with the latter hitting Christian for a boundary in his final delivery of the evening. IND-M 209/6 after 19

Yuvraj brings up the 150 for his team with a clean hit over long on for the seventh maximum of his innings, but perishes just two balls later after getting a leading edge that results in a simple catch for Shaun Marsh at backward point.

Yusuf Pathan joins Stuart Binny at the centre, and he smashes Steve O’Keefe for a maximum straight down the ground at the start of the 16th over. Binny also helps himself to a maximum, getting down on one onee and slog-sweeping the ball over the wide long on fence. O’Keefe concedes 17 in his final over as India Masters reach 170/4 with four overs remaining.

Shane Watson decides to introduce leg-spinner Bryce McGain in the 13th over, and Yuvraj Singh welcomes him into the attack with a hat-trick of sixes in the same over which help him complete his half-century in just 26 balls!

Yuvi slog-sweeps over deep midwicket in the first two as McGain makes the mistake of bowling into the slot, before hitting the ball flat over long on later in the over. Binny, meanwhile, keeps the party going in the following over as he collects a couple of boundaries in Ben Hilfenhaus’ final over. The seamer concedes 12 in his final over to sign off with figures of 1/39. IND 144/3 after 14

Yuvraj gets down on one knee and muscles the ball over the deep midwicket/cow corner region for a maximum at the start of O’Keefe’s third over, comfortably clearing the fence after hitting from the meat of the bat. Two balls later, he helps himself to his first four.

India Masters skipper Tendulkar’s stay at the crease, however, comes to an end as he ends up paddling the ball straight to his Aussie counterpart Shane Watson at short fine off Ben Hilfenhaus’ bowling. Seam-bowling all-rounder Stuart Binny joins Yuvraj, who is batting on 34 off 21 at the end of the 12th over, after Tendulkar’s dismissal. IND-M 112/3 after 12

Yuvraj smashes the left-arm spinner over long on for a maximum in the third delivery of the ninth over. Tendulkar helps himself to a boundary two balls later. The Aussies also burn a review in the same over after an unsuccessful LBW appeal by Doherty and his teammates against Tendulkar in the second delivery.

Christian continues on the other side of the timeout and bowls out a tidy over as India Masters race to 95/2 at the halfway stage.

Sachin Tendulkar had turned back the clock with his delightful 64 off 33 balls, which brought back memories for millions of cricket fans in India and across the world and gave some of the sport’s younger fans a glimpse into what the ‘Master Blaster’ was like during his heyday.

His knock, however, would go in vain as Ben Dunk (132 not out) and captain Shane Watson’s (110 not out) whirlwind centuries as well as Xavier Doherty’s five-for (5/25) helped the Aussies collect a huge 95-run win.

India Masters: Sachin Tendulkar(c), Ambati Rayudu(w), Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, Stuart Binny, Irfan Pathan, Pawan Negi, Shahbaz Nadeem, Dhawal Kulkarni, Vinay Kumar

Australia Masters: Shaun Marsh, Daniel Christian, Ben Dunk(w), Nathan Reardon, Ben Cutting, Shane Watson(c), Steve OKeefe, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Xavier Doherty, Bryce McGain, Ben Hilfenhaus

Australia Masters make their changes to their lineup – Ben Dunk, Xavier Doherty and Nathan Coulter-Nile returning to the XI.

India Masters, on the other hand, have Sachin Tendulkar returning in place of Saurabh Tiwary while R Vinay Kumar and Shahbaz Nadeem replace Abhimanyu Mithun and Rahul Sharma respectively.

Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium will be hosting the upcoming semi-final meeting between India Masters and Australia Masters on Thursday.

Raipur is hosting games for the third and final phase of the season, which began with the India Masters vs West Indies Masters game on 8 March and concludes with the final on 16 March.

Here are the squads from which India Masters and Australia Masters will pick their playing XIs for the upcoming IML T20 2025 semi-final meeting:

India Masters: Sachin Tendulkar(c), Naman Ojha(w), Saurabh Tiwary, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Stuart Binny, Pawan Negi, Rahul Sharma, Dhawal Kulkarni, Abhimanyu Mithun, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Vinay Kumar, Shahbaz Nadeem

Australia Masters: Shaun Marsh, Daniel Christian, Nathan Reardon, Ben Cutting, Peter Nevill(w), Shane Watson(c), James Pattinson, Ben Hilfenhaus, Steve OKeefe, Ben Laughlin, Bryce McGain, Xavier Doherty, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Ben Dunk, Callum Ferguson, Jason Krejza