Sports
Australia send India packing from World Cup
Sydney, March 26
Australia comprehensively
overwhelmed India to oust the defending champions and enter the cricket
World Cup final with a 95-run win in their semifinal encounter at the
Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) here on Thursday.
With the triumph,
Australia ensured a summit clash against co-hosts New Zealand and will
be vying for their fifth title at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on
Sunday.
A 182-run stand between Steven Smith (105) and Aaron
Finch (81) proved to be the difference between the two sides. Opting to
bat, the hosts put up a commanding total of 328/7 in 50 overs before
bowling out India for 233 in 46.5 overs.
The daunting target
notwithstanding, India started well with openers Rohit Sharma (34) and
Shikhar Dhawan (45), with the latter playing the aggressor's role. The
left-hander was dropped by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin while batting at
five but recovered to notch six boundaries and a six in his 41-ball
innings.
Just when India were looking like they may give the
hosts a challenge, from 76/0 in the 13th over, the defending champions
lost four quick wickets to be tottering at 108/4. Virat Kohli (1) and
Suresh Raina (7) failed to provide the impetus and the loss of their
wickets completely put India on the backfoot.
Ajinkya Rahane (44)
and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (65) then tried to steady the
floundering ship with a 70-run fifth-wicket partnership but the asking
rate kept mounting.
After Rahane got out, the pressure got on to
Dhoni who struck a couple of lusty blows to bring in a lot of cheer from
the crowd. But the Indian skipper had to go for it with the required
run rate almost 10 per over.
In order to accelerate the faltering
run rate, Dhoni was run out by a direct throw from Glen Maxwell -- and
all Indian hopes of a comeback lay shattered.
In the end, such
was the dominance of the Australian pacers that they scalped the last
four wickets for just two runs as the tail failed to offer any form of
resistance.
The Australian pace attack lived up to its hype with
the tournament's highest wicket-taker Mitchell Starc starring with 2/28
in 8.5 overs. Mitchell Johnson (2/50) also took a brace while James
Faulkner cleaned up the tail with 3/59.
Earlier, with Australia
opting to bat, Smith and Finch's second-wicket partnership powered the
four-time champions to the first 300-plus total in a Cup semifinal with
Smith scoring his fourth One-Day International (ODI) century.
Looking
at the way the hosts were going, India did well to drag Australia back
from the time they looked like getting anything above 350.
India
started well with pacer Umesh Yadav (4/72) taking big-hitter David
Warner's wicket in only the fourth over. But thereon, Smith and Finch
more or less put the match in Australia's favour.
Opener Finch
was slow but managed to stick it out in the middle to score seven
boundaries and one six in his 116-ball knock. He provided good support
to Smith, who smashed his way to 11 fours and two sixes in his 93-ball
innings.
India pulled things back as Yadav, Mohit Sharma (2/75)
and spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (1/42) took four quick wickets. Despite
this, the four-time champions maintained the flow, scoring almost a
run-a-ball.
A couple of brilliant cameos at the end from James
Faulkner (21) and Mitchell Johnson (27 not out) helped Australia hammer
89 runs off the last 10 overs, despite losing two more wickets.
All
Indian bowlers, who had proved to be the team's main reason for success
in the tournament, were expensive against the explosive Australian
batsmen. Though Yadav picked up his second consecutive four-wicket haul,
he went for eight per over.
Ashwin was the most economical bowler giving away only 42 runs from his 10 overs, also taking a wicket.
In
the Cup final, the two co-hosts will take on each other with Australia,
in their seventh final, and New Zealand, in their maiden. The Black
Caps had beaten their Trans-Tasman rivals by a wicket in the group
stage.