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It was a high-octane clash between both teams which went on till the last delivery. The five-time champions Australia defeated New Zealand by five runs in a high-scoring thriller at Dharamshala. Australia have made a comeback by winning four consecutive matches and is sitting in a comfortable position on the points table.
Talking about the clash, Travis Head made a comeback into the team and scored a century partnership with David Warner. Travis Head made an incredible comeback as he returned after an injury and started to show his ability from the first match itself.
He smashed 109 off 67 balls in his first World Cup game and added 175 runs for the opening stand with David Warner scoring 81 off 65 balls. Both the batters were dismissed, and Australia were in a comfortable position heading towards a big total.
But New Zealand bowlers controlled the innings in the middle overs and put a brake on Australia’s innings by dismissing the middle-order batters. Later Maxwell and Josh Inglis accelerated the innings again with some big shots. Even skipper Pat Cummins played a superb cameo smashing Jimmy Neesham for 27 runs in an over and scoring 37 runs in just 14 balls.
Trent Boult at last dismissed Inglis, Cummins and Zampa in a single over and Matt Henry dismissed Starc to finish the Aussies innings on 388/10.
To win the game New Zealand needed to chase a mammoth total of 389 which has never been chased in World Cups. New Zealand had a tough task to do. Openers Conway and Young gave a good start but both failed to convert the start into a big innings which was the need of time.
Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell then paired up and both the batters scored their fifties. Daryl Mitchell was dismissed by Starc just after completing his fifty. Rachin Ravindra steadied the innings from one end and even completed his second century in this World Cup, but he got a lack of support from another end as Latham and Philips went early.
Later due to the pressure of the run rate, Rachin was also dismissed by Pat Cummins in an attempt to hit the ball out of the park. Though Neesham tried to finish the game he was dismissed on the second last ball when the Kiwis needed 7 from 2, reducing the chances of New Zealand to win. He played a brilliant knock of 58 from 39 balls. A six was required to finish the game but experienced Mitchell Starc denied the Kiwis to hit a six and finished the game for Aussies.
It was truly a memorable game where the match went down till the last delivery. Travis Head for his heroics was adjudged as the Player of the Match.
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