The game between India and Australia was the match that would decide the second finalist from Group 2. It was a tense and intriguing setting across the country as expected. At the toss, Steven Smith won the toss and decided to make India chase the total.

The Australian opener Khawaja began the Aussie innings with a boundary off Nehra on the very first ball. The Stadium fell silent, as they knew the Aussies meant business today. In the second over Nehra missed the leg stump that could have taken Finch out. The over saw them scoring 17 runs off 4x fours, and a single. Their momentum of whacking the ball for boundaries went on. Hardik made an attempt to catch an outbound six by Finch, but fell short. By the beginning of the fifth over Australia were 53 for no loss and then fell Khawaja thanks to Nehra who wanted a payback. The biggest dismissal was of the Australian Skipper, Smith, who was caught out by Dhoni on Yuvraj’s first ball. After 10 overs, Australia were 81/3. When Hardik came to bowl the thirteenth over, Finch took a four off him, who in the next ball bowled a short delivery that made Finch go for a pull that went straight into the hands of Dhawan. After 16 overs Australia were 129/4. Bumrah came back in the attack in the seventeenth over taking Maxwell off the field by bowling a slower delivery that Maxwell didn’t anticipate. The next to go was Faulkner, bowled by Hardik and caught by Kohli in the last over. The Australians ended their innings with Nevill getting a four and six off Pandya, making the final score 160/6.

India’s Innings began with Sharma on strike. Sharma and Dhawan shared a partnership of 23 runs off 23 balls with Dhawan hitting a single four and six within the first three overs. By the fourth over, Dhawan was taken out by Coulter-Nile. In came Kolhi, smashing two fours in his first over. After 5 overs, India were 34/1. The next over saw Sharma get bowled out by Watson who scored 12 runs off 17 balls. Followed by Raina getting caught out by Nevill in the eighth over. Yuvraj came on strike next and twisted his left ankle which led to single run taking between wickets by the batsmen at the crease. He and Kolhi crafted a 45 run partnership off 38 balls. By the end of the fourteenth over, Yuvraj was taken out by Faulkner, which proved to be a blessing in disguise as Dhoni – Kohli changed the momentum of the game. After 17 overs, India needed 39 off 18 balls which seemed impossible to achieve. But the duo made the impossible, possible, with smacking sixes, fours all around the ground. The Match was won with 5 balls to spare and no prizes to guess the way in which it was ended by Dhoni! An epic ‘game closing’ four off Faulkner defined the exit of Australia from the world stage.

Kohli was named ‘Man of the Match’ for his efforts that led India to qualify for the semi-final. Dhoni complimented Kohli at the after match session by saying, “It was tremendous batting effort from him, superb batting”.