Internet Desk: It was a brilliant innings from Virat Kohli that guided India to the semi finals of the ICC World T20. It was Virat’s superlative knock of 82 not out off 51 balls that helped India beat Australia by 6 wickets. Skipper Dhoni hit the winning runs as he remained not out on 18 runs. India were staring at a defeat requiring 39 runs off 17 balls. But Virat had other ideas as he took 19 runs off the 18th over bowled by Faulkner and followed it up by picking 16 runs off Coulter Nile in the next over. With four runs required to win, Dhoni hit the winning ruins off Faulkner with 5 balls to spare.
India will now meet West Indies in the second semi final in Mumbai while New Zealand will take on England in the first semi final at Kotla.
India started the run chase with an attacking mindset. Shikhar Dhawan hit a wonderful cover drive off the first delivery he faced from Hazzlewood to set the Indian innings rolling. Rohit Sharma took his time in the middle as India made a careful start scoring 9 from the first two overs.Dhawan got his first six as he flicked Hazzlewood to the stands. India scored 18 runs after 3 overs.
Rohit too got into the act as he pulled Coulter Nile to the mid wicket for his first boundary. The burly pacer made a huge comeback as he got rid of Dhawan for 13 runs as he tried to pull a short ball that caught him by surprise. India was 23/1 after 3.5 overs.
That brought Man of the Match Kohli into the crease. He quickly got into the act as he hit Hazzlewood for two consecutive boundaries. India was 34/1 after 5 overs.
Watson was brought into the attack by Smith inside the powerplay. The all rounder gave Australia a massive breakthrough as he got Sharma bowled for 12. India was 37/2. India could only manage 37/2 from the power play compared to Australia’s 59 runs.
Raina coming in at No 4 chipped over the infield to get his first boundary off Faulkner. India was 45/2 after 7 overs. Watson gave Australia another breakthrough as Raina nicked a short ball to the keeper. India was struggling at 49/3 after 7.4 overs. India brought up its fifty in the 8th over.
Yuvraj slashed Coulter Nile to bring his first boundary. The left hander was in a lot of pain trying to take a run. He somehow managed to limp to the non striker end. He twisted his ankle going for a run but was soon back on his feet. Indian team physio Patrick Farhat put some strapping as protection.
India at half way stage was 65/3 needing another 96 runs off 60 balls to win.
Smith got spinners from both ends as he brought Adam Zampa. The leg spinner bowled a decent over first up. India was struggling to get going with 68/3 in 11 overs.
Virat came down the crease to send Maxwell for his first six over long off. India picked 12 runs from that over to get going. India was 81/3 after 12 overs.
Yuvraj got into the groove as he sent a rank full toss from Zampa to the stands. India scored 9 runs from the 13th over to reach the score to 89/3 .
Smith brought Faulkner sensing both Yuvraj and Kohli was picking easy runs. Faulkner initiated the breakthrough as Watson took a splendid running catch to get rid of Yuvraj for 21 runs. India was 94/4 after 14 overs requiring another 67 runs to win off 36 balls.
Dhoni who came out to bat next pulled Watson for a boundary. India was 102/4 after 15 overs. Hazzlewood went for 14 runs as Virat and Dhoni showed some excellent running between the wickets. India was 114/4 after 16 overs, still requiring 47 runs off 24 balls.
Virat brought up his half century with a pull off Watson. He reached his fifty in 40 balls. Dhoni slashed hard at Watson to bring a much needed boundary. India was 122/4 after 17 overs still needing another 39 runs from 18 balls.
Smith brought Australia’s best bowler Faulkner to bowl the next over. Kohli pulled him for a boundary off his first delivery. He followed it up with another terrific shot opening the face of the bat to the point boundary. He sent the crowd at its feet with a six over long off of the third delivery he faced. He looked in supreme control as he picked four more runs in the next two balls. Faulkner went for 19 runs in the 18th over.
The Australian captain threw the ball to Coulter Nile to bowl the 19th over. The burly pacer bowled a dot in his first ball. But Kohli followed it up with slice for his 6th boundary. He pulled the third ball for his 7th boundary seeing the fine leg in the circle. He hit his third consecutive boundary with a classic strike over the extra cover. He got his 9th another boundary off the last ball to get India to 157/4 after 19 overs. Nile went for 16 runs.
Requring four runs off the last over, Dhoni hits the winning runs scoring a boundary off the first ball from Faulkner to help India win the match by 6 wickets. Virat Kohli remained not out on 82 runs off 51 balls with 9 hits to the fence and two huge sixes. Dhoni remained not out on 18 off 10 balls .
Earlier a great comeback from the Indian bowlers restricted Australia to 160/6. Australia looked on course to post a huge total after the powerplay as both openers Aaron Finch and Usman Khawaja gave the team a rollicking start scoring 53 runs off the first four overs. Khawaja was more punishing of the two as he hit first six scoring runs off boundaries. Khawaja started his innings pulling Nehra of the first delivery for a boundary. Nehra did come back strongly with two great deliveries. Bumrah, who shared the new ball with Nehra went for 17 runs. Khawaja was in a destructive mood against the youngster as he whacked Bumrah for consecutive boundaries off his pads. The left hander hit his third consecutive boundary to set Australia innings on fire. Khawaja guided the last ball to the boundary as well. Australia was 21/0 after 2 overs.
Finch who did not have enough strike till that time went after Nehra hitting him through covers to bring his first boundary.
Dhoni was forced to replace Bumrah with Ashwin. Finch, currently ranked the number 1 T20 batsman in the world hit the first six off the match lofting Ashwin over long on. He again took his chances as he hit his second six, just missing Pandya at long on. Baffled with the sixes, Ashwin bowled a wide that beat everyone to the boundary. The fifty came up for Australia in only 22 balls. Ashwin went for 22 runs off his first over.
India got its first breakthrough as Nehra had Khawaja edged one to Dhoni . But he played his part scoring 26 runs off 16 balls. Australia was 54/1 after 4.2 overs. Nehra came back strongly to give only 2 runs with a wicket of Khawaja.
After the initial onslaught by the Australian batsman, Indian bowlers did pull things back as both Bumrah and Jadeja bowled some tight overs.Ashwin did comeback strongly, getting rid of David Warner stumped for 6 runs. Australia was 73/2 after 8 overs.
Jadeja continued to bowl economically as his first two overs went for 6 runs. Yuvraj gave India the biggest breakthrough as he had Steve Smith caught behind of Dhoni for only 2 runs. The Australian captain did not seem too happy with the decision as he walked back. Australia was restricted to 74/3.
Australia was 81/3 at mid way stage of the innings.
Pandya was brought into the attack in the 11th over and gave a strike immediately. He got rid of dangerous looking Finch as he tried to loft Pandya into the stands only to be caught by Dhawan at mid wicket. Finch scored a well made 43 runs off 34 balls. Australia brought up theur 100 in the 13th over losing 4 wickets.
Maxwell swept Jadeja to get a boundary to the fine leg. He followed it up with a terrific six off a switch hit. Australia was 129/4 after 16 overs.
Bumrah brought the crowds to live by getting rid of dangerous looking Maxwell bowled for 31 off 28 balls with Australia at 130/5.
Nehra bowled a superb 18th over as he gave away just 4 runs. Australia was 136/5 after 18 overs.
Faulkner got the placement right as he hits Bumrah for a boundary off his first ball. Australia was 145/5 with just an over remaining.
Pandya bowling the last over got Faulkner out of his first ball. Faulkner was out caught at long off by Kohli for 10 runs. Peter Nevill hit a cheeky boundary of his first delivery faced. He finish off the Australia innings with a six to give India a target of 161 runs to win.
Earlier Australian captain Steve Smith won the toss and decided to bat first. Both sides went in unchanged from their last match.