Indian captain Rohit Sharma smashed a blistering 41-ball 92 to propel his team to a commanding 205 for five against Australia in their final Super 8s match of the T20 World Cup on Monday.
Electing to bat first, Sharma took the Australian bowling attack by storm, launching eight sixes and seven fours in his innings. Unfazed by the early dismissal of his opening partner Virat Kohli, Sharma targeted pacer Mitchell Starc, taking 29 runs off his second over to set the tone for India at the Darren Sammy Stadium.
Starc eventually provided Australia with a breakthrough, dismissing the rampaging Sharma. However, the Indian batting onslaught continued with Suryakumar Yadav (31 off 16 balls) and Shivam Dube (28 off 22 balls) maintaining the aggressive momentum. Hardik Pandya (27 off 17 balls) then ensured India finished their innings on a high.
India will now be looking to defend their imposing total and secure a place in the semifinals of the T20 World Cup.
