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India will go into Thursday’s World Cup semi-final against Australia in Sydney confident of success irrespective of whether the wicket took turn or assisted fast bowlers, opener Rohit Sharma said. The wear and tear at the end of a long season was evident when the covers were removed at the Sydney Cricket ground on Wednesday, revealing a dry, brown pitch that would gladden India more than their rivals. South African spinners Imran Tahir and JP Duminy shared seven wickets to bowl out Sri Lanka for 133 in the quarter-final at the SCG last week, setting up a nine-wicket win for the Proteas. [caption id=“attachment_2173429” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
Australian coach Darren Lehmann predicted a high-scoring game, but Sharma said India were not sweating over the nature of the wicket. AFP[/caption] But the bat dominated the ball in previous World Cup games at the venue, with Australia piling up 376 for nine against Sri Lanka and South Africa smashing 408 for five off the West Indies’ attack. Australian coach Darren Lehmann predicted a high-scoring game, but Sharma said India were not sweating over the nature of the wicket. “It does not worry us what sort of wicket we get because we are confident of doing well on any surface,” said Sharma, who scored a century in the quarter-final against Bangladesh in Melbourne. “We have taken 70 wickets in seven matches, bowled out the opposition every time, so we know what we need to do. “Our seamers have done well and so have the spinners. We are ready for anything that we get.” Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men have confounded critics by recovering from a winless bilateral tour of Australia before the World Cup to brush aside all-comers in the tournament. Starting with two wins against Pakistan and South Africa, India won all six group matches to top Pool B and then downed spirited Bangladesh by 109 runs in the quarter-finals. Besides bowling out their rivals in all games, India have piled up 300-plus scores every time they have batted first. India have beaten Australia just once in 35 years in a one-day international at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the hosts have won all six semi-finals they have contested since the inaugural event in 1975. But Sharma, who hit a record one-day score of 264 against Sri Lanka last year, said the past will have no bearing on Thursday’s result and insisted Australia were not unbeatable. “Of course we can win, no question about it,” he said. “Australia is a good batting side but they struggled against good quality bowling when they played New Zealand or Pakistan. “They have also bowled well, but then we have batted well too.” Australia were shot out for 151 by New Zealand in Auckland and it was only a six-wicket haul by Mitchell Starc that saw the Black Caps lose nine wickets before surpassing the modest target. Pakistan’s left-arm fast bowler Wahab Riaz had the Australian batsmen hopping with short-pitched deliveries in the quarter-final in Adelaide before the hosts won by six wickets. Sharma, who had heated on-field exchanges with David Warner during the preceding tri-series, said he expected a fiery contest between two strong rivals. “Look a bit of sledging is okay as long as boundaries are not crossed,” he said. “The Indian team will not cross the line, but we will not back down either.” AFP
World Cup 2015, India vs Australia as it happened: Australia hammer India to reach final
Australian coach Darren Lehmann predicted a high-scoring game, but Sharma said India were not sweating over the nature of the wicket.
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Michael Clarke stops Dhoni and has a word before walking up on the stage. Nice to see such a display of sportsmanship and mutual respect.
Clarke: Really excited. Smithy, was exceptional once again. Really proud of the exection under the pressure by the bowlers. We are playing some really good cricket at the moment. Losing to NZ gave us that kick up our backsides. Our training has been outstanding. Our boys have showed up with the desire to get better. I still don’t’ think we have played a perfect game though. I think its going to be a cracker against NZ. Priority is to make sure we recover. Mentally, we are ready. Physically, we need a couple of days to get it right.
MS Dhoni: I think overall they played very good game. Over 300 was a difficult score to chase but I thought I was just over par. We came back quite well. I was worried about the spinners but I felt the fast bowlers could have done better.
At the start of the tournament, not many thought we could come so far. But in the knockouts, you have to lift your game.
Shikhar’s dismissal was on the softer side. That was when he could have milked the bowling,. He should have batted for a few more overs. He didn’t need to play a big shot. Btu pressure makes you do certain things you don’t want to do.
There was too many to chase. If you lose quite a few wickets and you have chase over 6 an over, and our lower order can’t contribute in these kinds of conditions. Our lower order needs to work hard on their batting. In the knock out stages, you need to bat deep.
I am 33. I am still running. I am still fit. Close to next year, the T20 world cup will be the time to decide whether to continue until the 2019 World Cup or not.
Rahane is someone who has improved his game a lit. If you look at the batting line-up, these are the players who will take the team forward.
I would like to thank the fans, Indian and Australian. You want people to come to the games.
Steven Smith is the Player of the Match
Smith: We thought 330 was around par. We knew we had to bowl and field well and the boys did a terrific job tonight. Bring on Melbourne. I’m just happy where everything is at the moment. Just looking forward to Melbourne now. It is going to be a hell of a day. Another big hundred will be nice. It will be amazing moment to play a World Cup final against New Zealand at the MCG. Will be nice to get them in our conditions.
Over 46.5: India 233 all out (Shami 1)
Shami nicks Starc’s first ball past slip but picks up only a single. runs. OUCH! A Starc bouncer strikes like a cobra at Umesh’s head. Catches him on the chin and he is in need of some medical attention.
OUT! A Starc yorker crashes into the base of Umesh’s stumps. And that’s that.
Yadav b Starc 0 (5b 0x4 0x6)
Australia have won by 95 runs and will face New Zealand in the final on Sunday at the MCG.
Over 45.5: India 231/9 (Shami 0)
OUT! Mohit bowled first ball. Pitched on middle and held its line. Mohit played inside it and has to trudge back to the dressing room.
Mohit Sharma b Faulkner 5 (1b 0x4 0x6)
Over 45.4: India 231/8 (Shami 0)
OUT! Slower ball from Faulkner. Ashwin swings hard. Misses. Bails light up.
Ashwin b Faulkner 5 (13b 0x4 0x6)
Over 44.3: India 231/7 (Ashwin 4)
OUT! Dhoni takes on Maxwell. Maxwell wins. Dhoni flicked the ball to mid-on and took off. Maxwell had one stump to aim at and knocked it over with Dhoni having given up.
Dhoni run out 65 (65b 3×4 2×6)
That’s all, folks. The fat lady has started singing.
Over 44: India 225/6 (Dhoni 64, Ashwin 3)
Johnson keeps India to singles. Five of them, to be exact. The required-rate heads toward 17 an over.
Over 43: India 223/6 (Dhoni 61, Ashwin 1)
Dhoni decides Watson is his man and the charge is on. Chips down the track and slashes him over for SIX first ball. The second ball is hammered over long-off for another SIX! Misses out on the third ball – a low full toss – and has to settle for a single. Ashwin then plays and misses before taking a single from the fifth ball. Only a single from the last ball but Dhoni keeps strike.
Another 7 overs of this and India will tie Australia and go through on the basis of their better Group record
Over 41.5: India 208/6 (Dhoni 47)
OUT! Direct hit from Smith from backward point and Jadeja has to get on his bike. Dhoni dabbed the ball and set off for a quick single. As quick as Jadeja is, it is Smith’s world that he is living in.
Jadeja run out 16 (17b 2×4 0x6)
Over 41: India 204/5 (Dhoni 45, Jadeja 14)
Dhoni gives Hazlewood a bit of a charge. Hazlewood sees him coming and bowls a bouncer. Dhoni top edges his pull shot and Clarke runs a long way from mid-on to get to the falling ball at square leg but allows it to pop out of his hands. Jadeja thumps the penultimate ball past point for a boundary. Eight from the over.
Over 40: India 196/5 (Dhoni 42, Jadeja 8)
Faulkner bowls the last over of the PowerPlay. Four runs result. India made 26 runs from the PP for the loss of Rahane’s wicket (the first wicket India has lost in the PP in the World Cup). That isn’t going to cut it.
Over 39: India 192/5 (Dhoni 40, Jadeja 7)
Starc still looking for that legstump yorker. After a few leg-byes, he gets it completely wrong and Jadeja gets four to fine leg. Nine from the over.
The required-rate is now well over 12 an over.
Over 38: India 183/5 (Dhoni 38, Jadeja 3)
Faulkner’s turn to bowl in the PP. Gives Jadeja a working over with a few bouncers. Jadeja tries manfully to pull but can’t get into a good position. Four from the over.
Over 37: India 179/5 (Dhoni 36, Jadeja 1)
Just two from Starc’s over and a wicket. India’s fairytale in this World Cup is coming to a slow end at the hands of the one opponent they have not been able to conquer Down Under.
Over 36.2: India 177/5 (Dhoni 36)
Starc is back since the PowerPlay began in the last over. Out of nowhere Haddin decides to review an appeal for caught behind off Rahane, who hung his bat at a ball angled across him but didn’t appear to make contact. Nobody seemed too excited about the appeal either
OUT! Snicko shows a spike. The third umpire gives it out. India slide further.
Rahane c †Haddin b Starc 44 (68b 2×4 0x6)
Over 36: India 177/4 (Rahane 44, Dhoni 35)
Dhoni misses a wide slower delivery from Faulkner. After a couple of singles, he does not missed another wide delivery and punches it past point for a boundary. Still, just seven from the over. That’s not enough.
Over 35: India 170/4 (Rahane 43, Dhoni 29)
Rahane and Dhoni struggle to get Johnson away. He doesn’t give either of them any width. So Rahane makes his own width by backing away but he can’t beat the fielder on the cover boundary and only gets two runs.
Over 34: India 165/4 (Rahane 40, Dhoni 27)
Rahane gives Watto the charge and slaps him down the ground. That is his first boundary in anger. Glides him to third man for two more before another heart-in-mouth moment as Rahane pulls in the air but the ball doesn’t carry to Hazlewood on the boundary. Eight in all from the over, which is not enough.
Over 33: India 157/4 (Rahane 33, Dhoni 26)
Johnson is back. The required rate hits 10. Rahane flashes at a full ball pushed across him and is lucky the nick flies past slip. He ends up with the first boundary of his innings. Seven from the over, which is not enough. Rahane has to start scoring quicker. His strike-rate is 57.89. Dhoni’s strike-rate is 92.85.
Over 32: India 150/4 (Rahane 28, Dhoni 25)
A nervous moment for Rahane after he mistimes a pull shot but it does not carry to the fielder at deep midwicket. Just two from the over.
Over 31: India 148/4 (Rahane 27, Dhoni 24)
A boundary!! Dhoni gives Hazlewood’s first ball some humpty and sends it racing past the bowler. Later in the over, Dhoni slashes at a short, wide ball and top edges it fine to the third man boundary. Hazlewood stands with hands on hips. 10 from the over.
Over 30: India 138/4 (Rahane 26, Dhoni 15)
Watto gets his turn with the ball. Clarke spreading it around. A good time for anyone to bowl, really. Nothing of note happens. India pick up five more runs in a combination of ones and twos.
The required rate is now 9.55