India have marched into the T20 World Cup semi-finals, as skipper Rohit Sharma's blistering 92 set up a 24-run victory over Australia, who are left on the brink of elimination.
Rohit clobbered eight sixes in his 41-ball blitz to lay the foundation for India's imposing 205/5 - their highest total in the tournament - at Gros Islet, St Lucia.
Travis Head led Australia's chase with a belligerent 76, but India restricted them to 181/7 to remain unbeaten in the tournament and set up a semi-final against defending champions England at Guyana.
The 'Super Eight' clash between two former champion teams assumed greater importance, after Afghanistan stunned Australia to throw Group One wide open.
Afghanistan are certain to make the last four, if they beat Bangladesh later on Tuesday (NZ time). If Bangladesh beat Afghanistan, but only narrowly, Australia will progress.
Rohit has not been in the best of form, but the India captain forced Starc out of the attack by hitting the fast bowler for four sixes in a 29-run over.
"There was a strong breeze," said the Player of the Match. "They changed their plan, so I had to open up the other side of the field.
"It was a good wicket and you want to back yourself to play those kind of shots. I'm glad it came off very well today."
Josh Hazlewood drew first blood, as he bounced out Virat Kohli for a duck, after Australia elected to field.
Pat Cummins, who had claimed back-to-back hattricks in his last two games, was pressed into service to end the batting carnage. Rohit greeted the seamer by depositing his first ball on the roof of the stadium for a monster six, en route to a 19-ball fifty.
India raced to the 100-mark in the ninth over, but Starc returned to deny Rohit the first hundred by a batter in this tournament. Suryakumar Yadav (31) and Shivam Dube (28) produced breezy cameos, and Hardik Pandya made 27 not out to propel India to their first 200-plus total of the event.
Arshdeep Singh rattled Australia by removing opener David Warner in the first over of possibly his last game in an Australia shirt. Skipper Mitchell Marsh (37) joined Head and they counter-attacked to put Australia's chase back on track.
Axar Patel leapt to take a stunning one-handed catch at deep square leg to dismiss Marsh, but Head raced to a 24-ball fifty.
Kuldeep Yadav castled the dangerous Glenn Maxwell (20) and Jasprit Bumrah effectively sealed India's victory, when he dismissed Head with a clever change of pace.
"It's so disappointing," said Marsh. "We know we still have a chance to make the semis, but today, India got the better of us.
"They got off to a flyer, Rohit Sharma is very hard to stop when he's in that mode. He deserves all the credit for that."
India 205/5 (Sharma 92, Yadav 31, Dube 28; Starc 2/45, Stoinis 2/56) Australia 181/7 (Head 76, Marsh 37, Maxwell 20; Singh 3/37)
India win by 24 runs
Reuters
