Team India skipper Rohit Sharma took Mitchell Starc to the cleaners in the T20 World Cup Super 8 encounter against Australia at the Darren Sammy International Stadium in St.Lucia. The left-arm speedster leaked 29 runs off his 2nd over as the 37-year-old smashed 3 sixes to put Australia under pressure even as they got Virat Kohli cheaply.
The Nagpur-born cricketer also became the first player to hit 200 sixes in the format, thereby also overtaking Pakistan's limited-overs skipper Babar Azam for most T20I runs. The Indian captain led from the front as he brought up his half-century off only 19 deliveries. After electing to field first, Australia made a dream start by getting Kohli for a five-ball duck as Josh Hazlewood's short-ball plan proved to be successful.
However, it was Mitchell Starc, who got the better of him in the 12th over of the innings by yorking him as the Indian captain missed his century by 8 runs.
Fireworks from Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube guide India to 205:
After Rohit Sharma perished for 92 off 41 deliveries, Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube took over the mantle and smashed sixes even as Australia controlled the flow of runs. The final over of the innings yielded only 10 runs as Pat Cummins gave away only one six.
Should India beat Australia in St.Lucia, they will join England and South Africa in the semi-finals. They are likely guaranteed a semi-final spot even if they lose, given their superior net run-rate.
