Australia’s T20 World Cup hopes are hanging by a thread after a comprehensive loss to India left the team relying on Bangladesh to beat Afghanistan on Tuesday to remain in the tournament.
Australia can now only qualify for the knockout stage if Bangladesh, whose net run rate is currently languishing at -2.489, defeats Afghanistan by a narrow margin.
If Afghanistan win the Aussies are flying home. And if Bangladesh beats Afghanistan by 62 runs or more batting first, they progress – if Bangladesh is chasing a total of 160, they’ll need to reach 161 in 12.5 overs.
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Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh laughed, “Come on, Bangladesh”, after the loss to India.
It was a match shaped by a towering innings from Indian batter Rohit Sharma, who plundered eight sixes to fall just short of a century, leaving his teammates with some work still to do to set a monster target.
Pat Cummins chose to bowl and Josh Hazlewood – the pick of the bowlers – pounced early, claiming superstar Virat Kohli for a duck.
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But India still got off to a flying start, piling on 1-43 before a rain delay in the fifth over.
Sharma plundered two more boundaries off the over when play resumed to bring up his half century in just 19 balls.
Soon after, he clobbered Marcus Stoinis for 17 off four balls before the medium-pacer claimed a breakthrough with the wicket of Rishab Pant – who was just starting to look dangerous – caught in the deep by Josh Hazlewood.
But the Australians had no answers for Sharma as he plundered 92 off 41 before Mitchell Starc bowled him with an inside-edged near yorker in the 12th over. It was a valiant comeback for Starc, whose second over earlier went for 29.
The Aussies’ catching woes continued when Mitch Marsh shelled a particularly easy chance to send Pandya packing off Zampa amid a rare few overs where India scored less than a run a ball.
In reply, Australia was cruising with Mitchell Marsh and particularly Travis Head in fine form until a breathtaking one-handed catch on the boundary line from Axar Patel.
The way Marsh’s full-powered flat pull lodged in the fielder’s non-dominant hand was a stark contrast to the earlier fumble from the Australians.
Enter Glenn Maxwell. He hit 10 off his first two balls and looked set to seize the game by the scruff of the neck in typical style but was gone just as suddenly, failing to pick a Kuldeep Yadav googly on 20.
When Stoinis reverse swept straight to the man at backward point next over, the improbable was looking almost impossible. Australia needed another 71 runs at almost two runs a ball.
When Head holed out for 75 off a Japrit Bumrah slow ball in the 17th over, it was truly curtains.
Tim David, Matthew Wade and the tail were left trying to protect net run rate in the hopes Bangladesh can win its first match of the Super 8s to topple Afghanistan tomorrow.
After Head was deceived by Jasprit Bumrah’s slower ball, Australia’s challenge fizzled out in the death overs.
The loss came two days after the Aussies lost to Afghanistan for the first time.
“It’s disappointing,” captain Marsh said.
“India got the better of us … we’ve seen for 15 years what Rohit Sharma can do in that kind of mood, and he got off to an absolute flier.”