St Lucia: In a thrilling T20 World Cup Super 8 match against Australia, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma delivered an electrifying performance, helping Team India post a formidable 202/5 at the Darren Sammy Stadium in St Lucia on Monday.
Rohit, still smarting from India’s defeat to Australia in the ODI World Cup final seven months ago, seemed determined to set the record straight. His explosive batting display turned the game on its head after Virat Kohli was dismissed for a duck in the second over.
What followed was a relentless onslaught on the Australian bowlers. Rohit unleashed a barrage of sixes and fours, targeting leg-spinner Adam Zampa, medium-pacer Marcus Stoinis, and particularly dismantling Mitchell Starc with 29 runs in a single over.
Racing to his half-century off just 19 balls, Rohit single-handedly lifted the team’s total to 52. By the time he was dismissed for a spectacular 92 off 41 balls (including 7 fours and 8 sixes), India had already reached 127/3 in the 12th over, setting a solid foundation for the innings.
While Suryakumar Yadav (31 off 16), Shivam Dube (28 off 22), and Hardik Pandya (27* off 17) found it challenging to continue the same level of aggression, they managed to push India past the 200-run mark. Their contributions ensured that India posted an intimidating total, setting the stage for an exciting contest.