Published: Mar 26, 2015, 06:20 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 29, 2015, 01:52 PM (IST)
Australia put themselves in line for a fifth ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 title with an emphatic 95-run semi-final victory over defending champions India in Sydney on Thursday. Watch the video here
Steven Smith hammered 105 off 93 balls and Aaron Finch returned to form with 81 as the hosts piled up 328 for seven after electing to bat on a good pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Full Scorecard: India vs Australia, ICC World Cup 2015 Semi-Final 2 at Sydney
India were bowled out for 233 in reply despite an opening stand of 76 between openers Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan and a typically defiant run-a-ball 65 from captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. Top 10 batsmen in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
James Faulkner finished with three for 59, while left-arm fast bowlers Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc claimed two wickets each. Australia will take on tournament co-hosts New Zealand in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday. Top 10 fielders in ICC Cricket World Cup 2015
The four-time champions, who last won the title in 2007, have now won all seven World Cup semi-finals they have contested since the inaugural edition in 1975. India will rue a missed opportunity after an impressive campaign earlier in the tournament when they won all seven matches, piling up 300 or more runs each time they batted first and bowled out their rivals in every game. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
But they failed to dismiss Australia as in-form seamer Mohammad Shami went for 68 runs in 10 wicketless overs and Umesh Yadav conceded 72 runs in nine overs for his four wickets.
A sell-out crowd of some 42,000 at the SCG were treated to good cricket on a grassless, even-paced wicket that enabled batsmen to play shots freely.
