Australian skipper Mitchell Marsh admitted India was the better team after their 24-run loss in their last Super 8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium, Gros Islet, St Lucia on Monday.
India posted a par score of 205 runs on the board after Marsh decided to bowl first. Indian opener Virat Kohli was dismissed for a blob however Rohit Sharma scored the lion’s share of the runs in the Powerplay overs.
The Indian skipper raced to 19-ball fifty and batted in the top-most gear. Rohit was able to time the ball to perfection and scored a majestic knock of 92 runs off just 41 balls. The right-hander scored seven fours and eight sixes in his blistering knock and became the first batter to smash 200 maximums in T20Is.
On the other hand, Arshdeep Singh got the early wicket of David Warner but Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh added a quick alliance of 81 runs to keep Australia in the run-chase. But Head was bamboozled by Jasprit Bumrah with a slower ball and it was the turning point of the game.
Arshdeep Singh bagged three wickets whereas Kuldeep Yadav returned with impressive figures of 2-24 in his quota of four overs. Yadav accounted for Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Marsh in his fine spell.
Marsh also admitted that Indian bowlers were too good in the end as they could not cross the line.
Mitchell Marsh said in the post-match presentation, “Disappointing. It happens in the game of cricket. In the course of 40 overs, there are a lot of small margins. India were the better team, Rohit is a class player. (On Head and Maxwell’s batting) Gave us more belief than hope. In a run chase like that if you keep it at 10 an over, we are in the game. India’s bowlers were too good though in the end.”
Australia was knocked out of the T20I showpiece after Afghanistan registered an eight-run win (DLS method) against Bangladesh to make their way into the semis.
