The highly anticipated Super 8 match between India and Australia in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 will take place on June 24 at the Daren Sammy National Cricket Stadium in St Lucia at 8 p.m. IST. This match is crucial for India, as a win will keep their unbeaten streak and potentially knock Australia out of the tournament, offering a chance for revenge after Australia's victory in the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
On November 19, 2023, Australia defeated India at Narendra Modi Stadium, leaving Indian fans and legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in tears. If India wins this match, Australia will be left with two points from three games and will have to rely on Bangladesh defeating Afghanistan to advance to the semifinals. However, Afghanistan is expected to challenge Bangladesh, whose World Cup performance has been poor so far.
Watch the new episode of Pitch Battle.
#IndiaVsAustralia #T20WorldCup2024 #MenInBlue #TeamIndia #RohitSharma #ViratKohli #CricketFever #Super8Match #CricketRivalry #PitchBattle #IndianCricket #AussieCricket #StLuciaMatch #WorldCupShowdown #CricketFans
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On November 19, 2023, Australia defeated India at Narendra Modi Stadium, leaving Indian fans and legends Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in tears. If India wins this match, Australia will be left with two points from three games and will have to rely on Bangladesh defeating Afghanistan to advance to the semifinals. However, Afghanistan is expected to challenge Bangladesh, whose World Cup performance has been poor so far.
Watch the new episode of Pitch Battle.
#IndiaVsAustralia #T20WorldCup2024 #MenInBlue #TeamIndia #RohitSharma #ViratKohli #CricketFever #Super8Match #CricketRivalry #PitchBattle #IndianCricket #AussieCricket #StLuciaMatch #WorldCupShowdown #CricketFans
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SportsTranscript
00:00Hello everyone, you're watching Pitch Battle. I'm your host Indranil. Tonight we have India
00:09versus Australia. You know what sort of damage Australians have done to us in the last couple
00:15of years. Not couple of years, within one year. Last June, they completely destroyed
00:25us in that World Test Championship final. On November 19, let's put it, specify it,
00:34on that day, what happened. We were knocked out by Australia in that 50-over final in
00:42Ahmedabad. And now again, we are in a position to knock them out before the knockout would
00:48start, which is an amazing position. And something goes wrong. I think, I don't know what goes
00:53wrong, but something goes wrong with our Indian team when they see the Aussies, that
00:57yellow jersey. Something goes wrong. I mean, what, what goes wrong? I want to know. I mean,
01:02we are joined by editor of MyKale, Mr. Avinash Sharma. Avinash, welcome.
01:07Thank you, Dada.
01:09I mean, what goes wrong? What goes wrong with the Aussies? Please tell me. I'm absolutely
01:15confused. But fortunately, whatever happens, God forbids, India, I mean, I just want India
01:22to win. If India, Indian team doesn't win also, there's nothing to fear because we are
01:30already almost there. One of our legs is also already inside the same final birth. So, we
01:37don't need to worry at all. So, your thoughts, what goes wrong with us when we see the Aussies?
01:45I mean, I still am clueless. We were all under the impression in November on that fateful day
01:54that that jinx of losing against Australia in a knockout stage will finally break. But it didn't.
02:04Things were, I mean, India were looking favourites till the toss had happened or maybe
02:10after the coin landed in the opposition's favour as well. But yes, something definitely happens to
02:17this Indian side. And maybe after a couple of years from now, that mindset, mentality would
02:26start changing. I think it's a mental game because more often than not, we have lost to Australia in
02:34the past on big occasions. And that has been, I mean, that the fear of failure has, I mean,
02:44it's deeply ingrained in the psyche of Indian athletes when it comes to competing with the
02:51Aussies. It is changing, but I believe maybe another couple of ICC tournaments are when they
03:01are done and dusted. Only then can we expect the new generation, the fresh blood to not get
03:08intimidated by the name Aussie or that yellow jersey anymore. But so far, yes, we have seen them
03:16happening, not just the 50-over format in the U-19 World Cup. Also, we saw the Aussies defeating us
03:24this year. Absolutely. I mean, I don't know. I mean, this is something really confused. The Aussies
03:32are also coming into this game after that upset against Afghanistan, losing the game by 21 runs.
03:38That must have been really dead to their confidence. But this is where the championship DNA
03:44we talk about of the Aussies, they're so good with it. And they all will come into play tonight,
03:50isn't it? I mean, let's see how big champion, how big a champion player you are. I mean,
03:57I want to see that tonight happening. I mean, what are your thoughts? I mean,
04:02you know, being dented like that against Afghanistan, do you think it will affect
04:06their performance tonight? The very reason, because Australia is a champion side, because
04:14they are not affected a lot by defeats. I mean, just look at their campaign in the ODI World Cup,
04:24the 50-over World Cup in India. Nobody had even thought they'll be able to qualify for the
04:31semi-finals because the start that they had was very stuttering. But still, they started winning,
04:40they picked up the momentum and the way they defeated the opponents on their way to the finals
04:48and also in the final is a testimony to the mental fortitude this team has and the winning mentality
04:56it has. So yes, they were shocked by Afghanistan the other night, but I doubt it will play a lot
05:05with them in their minds. But of course, India definitely has an edge, not just because
05:13Australia have lost a match, because India has over the last decade or so, if we can look at,
05:21when there's less pressure on India, they tend to do very well against the Aussies.
05:28The first match between India and Australia last year in Chennai, it was a one-sided game
05:33for India. Even in the 2016 T20 World Cup, we saw that knock from Virat Kohli in Mohali,
05:43the way he played, the way he outclassed the Aussie bowlers and we ended up on the winning side.
05:49So, we've done in the past, it's just that I think the fear comes into the Indian players' psyche
05:58when they are facing them in the knockouts. So, when it's not a knockout game, Indians tend to do
06:05well against the Aussies and that is what I'm going to expect tonight as well. The Indian team
06:11has been on a roll. They've ticked all the boxes. In the last match, we saw Virat Kohli and Rohit
06:18Sharma also joining the party, scoring some runs, getting some runs against their name. So,
06:23they must also be light on their feet now that the pressure of performance is at least a little
06:31bit of… It has eased on them as well. So, overall, I think it is going to be a good contest. The Aussies
06:38will not give an ounce for free, that's for sure. But India definitely have it in them to just
06:45settle scores this time around and knock them out before the knockout starts.
06:50Yeah, they should do it. I mean, if you have, you know, salvage some pride by doing that. I mean,
06:56we want them to do it. Because Australia, the famous saying is, you give them an inch, they'll
07:01take a yard. So, that's what the Aussies are… They stand for all these years that we've seen.
07:07What a champion side. I mean, in world cricket, we have seen the mighty West Indies in the 70s
07:12and 80s and the Aussies took over across three World Cups. They were absolutely unbeatable and
07:17they've already done it in Test and ODI. And now they're again wanting to repeat their
07:26form in what they've done in other two formats. They won the championship in 2021.
07:33But that is a little far off when England took over. And then, I mean, you keep getting these
07:41T20 World Cup after every two years. So, that's also kind of a problem. But whatever. But we are
07:49right in front of a big challenge. Aussies, India, Australia, England and South Africa. I mean,
07:57that's the lineup you're looking at for the semifinals. Avinash, what are your thoughts?
08:04It's more or less on… I mean, it's going to be this only. South Africa, they've qualified.
08:10West Indies are out. So, a big challenge in the West Indies has also been taken care of by South
08:20Africa. But South Africa are going to be a big challenge for whosoever qualifies from Group 1
08:29because they are unbeaten so far and they've played some pretty good cricket.
08:37They are clicking well. They are peaking very well at the moment. And that's what makes them
08:44a formidable side and a dangerous opponent for anyone. So, even if Australia qualifies for the
08:51semis or somebody else, it is not going to be easy for them to take on the South Africans.
09:03And in all likelihood, we are going to see an India-England semifinals, it seems.
09:09And again, India-England semifinal will once again bring those memories of 2022 World Cup
09:17semifinal which India lost a margin of 10 wickets. So, again, there will be nerves, I think.
09:27Team India should not just think of the match against Australia today. They should also start
09:36preparing for the semifinals from today itself. And if their key players keep their momentum
09:43forward, they stick to their plans, game plans well, then England will definitely feel the heat.
09:53You know, I mean, often I've asked this question that what is the remedy to get all of that
09:58jitters you get or the nerve-wracking experience you face when you're playing a knockout game.
10:04So, the best way I can think of is just treat every game like a knockout game.
10:09But it's easier said than done because playing a bilateral literally, it doesn't exert that kind
10:17of pressure. You've seen how chop and changes happen in a bilateral game, in bilateral series
10:23over all the years we've seen that. But fortunately for India, they don't change the playing 11 as
10:27much as they do it in bilateral series. But they play around, they experiment, they lose, they win.
10:34But knockout matches, we have been only losing. So, this is quite a disturbing fact about Team
10:41India. Hopefully, this time they're able to, you know, swipe it, clean it with a start on a clean
10:48slate with the mindset, you know, not carry any baggage what you've done. It's very tough actually
10:56to say things of the free. But talking about, you know, you talked about the South African side,
11:03Avinash being a complete side and peaking at the right time. You see Indian team also
11:09versus Australian team. If you see the bowling wide, we started the bowling department. I think
11:14Boomerang has absolutely been, he didn't have a bad day so far in the tournament. T20 bowlers
11:19are bound to have a bad day. So, I hope it doesn't happen in one of the knockout games.
11:23The way he's carrying the Indian team on his shoulder, it's absolutely brilliant to see the
11:28way he's doing it, rubbing that confidence to the other bowlers. So, how do you see Australian
11:33bowling, Indian bowling? If you can compare these two bowling sides, which one is better
11:40on your book? I mean, in your book, I mean, which team is looking better on paper?
11:47I think I'll go with India, not because that we are, I mean, it's our home team,
11:54but because of the overall performance, if you look at it, we've restricted the opponents
12:01inside 120 and while defending 119, but we saw them never letting the leash
12:10loosen on the opposition when it comes to, even if the opposition was chasing 190 plus.
12:19So, that's the best thing about the Indian bowling and the element of Kuldeep Yadav coming into
12:27play now. It has also given an edge to the Indian bowling lineup and this looks a pretty balanced
12:35bowling attack. When it comes to the Australians, we're still seeing it is revolving around Adam
12:42Zampa and Pat Cummins. These are the two of the toughest players and the match winners that the
12:50Aussies have. We certainly don't want to demean or belittle the other players in the Aussie
12:58bowling lineup. They are also doing equally well, but so far what we have seen, it's Pat Cummins,
13:05but even he could not help Australia win a match against Afghanistan, despite he picked up his
13:12consecutive hat-trick in the tournament. So, that somewhere shows and reflects that there
13:20is some problem in the Aussie bowling lineup and also, let's not forget the fact that the Afghans
13:26had almost a century-plus stand. I mean, it was a century-plus opening stand against this
13:32particular Australian bowling lineup, while if you look at the Indian side, Jaspreet Bumrah or
13:40Arshadeev Singh or Hardik Pandya, they are not allowing the opposition batters and the
13:47openers in particular to last longer at the crease. And that's the beauty of this Indian
13:54side. They are not allowing the batters to, I mean, go on the offensive and take the game away
14:00or push the opposition or the Indian bowlers on the back foot. So, that's a difference that
14:08I could make out with the Indian and Australian bowling lineup.
14:14All right. But when it comes to batting, which side is looking better on paper?
14:20I would still say India because we've seen Travis Head and David Warner, they've done
14:28pretty well, but they are still not living up to the reputation that they came up with in this
14:35tournament. It all boils down to how the middle order of both the teams performs tonight. Because
14:43I think Australia also has a pretty balanced middle order and India, same goes with India,
14:48and India's middle order is in form. We saw what happened the other night,
14:54Surya Kumar Yadav getting out on the second ball, but that didn't let the batters slow their
15:01scoring rate. And this is going to be very crucial against a side like Australia. If you are not
15:08letting the fall of wickets impact the flow of runs and keep that scoreboard taking at a better
15:15run rate, definitely at a better scoring rate, definitely you're going to have an advantage or
15:22edge and you're going to be in the driver's seat more often than not against this Australian side.
15:28So, India's batting in the middle also.
15:31No, no, Avinash, what is remarkable also, we bat till number eight. We have bowlers, we have seven
15:37bowlers in the side, I mean, which is amazing. I mean, you see the fast bowlers, Arshadib is there.
15:44You have Bumrah, all-conquering Bumrah. Aditya is bowling exceedingly well. He's been a wicket
15:51taking option for India. We have so many all-rounders on our side. We have
16:01Hubei, we have Adil, we have Akshar, we have Jadeja, four all-rounders. So, that's something I
16:08haven't seen. I mean, again, I'm saying this is the best chance for us to lift the T20 World Cup.
16:14I don't think you'll get a team as complete as what we're seeing right now on paper,
16:21as far as Team India is concerned. Your thoughts?
16:25Yes, we can say that. It looks a very balanced team. And nobody had thought, I mean, there were
16:33naysayers, there was skepticism when the team was announced as to why are we going with the
16:40four spinners. And I think Yuvendra Chahal seems to be a backup for the three spinners that we
16:49have slotted in the playing XI. And I too believe that there's hardly going to be any change in the
16:55playing XI tonight as well. Yes, people are voicing that Shivam Dubey should be dropped,
17:03Sanju Samson should be included in the playing XI because he also can hit those lofty shots and
17:11up the ante and keep the momentum going. But it will again be a little harsh on Sanju Samson.
17:20He will have to come in and deliver almost immediately. And if, God forbid, something
17:28happens and he could not replicate what the fans are expecting of him, then once again, he'll be
17:35pushed further down in the pecking order. And because that's what has been happening with him,
17:42he gets a limited number of chances. And every time he gets a chance, there's the pressure of
17:48performances too much on him. And he faces the axe or gets just sidelined in the next game or the
17:57two or three games later on. So, that is not going to happen. I still believe
18:02Shivam Dubey is still your best bet when it comes to hitting those spinners. And today,
18:08if you look at the Australian bowling attack, taking on Adam Zampa is going to be very critical
18:15for India in the middle overs. And I think Shivam Dubey… Virat Kohli will do it. Zampa versus Virat Kohli.
18:25Provided Virat Kohli… I mean, we have not seen Virat Kohli play bad past the power plays. So,
18:34first, the target for Virat Kohli should be to just last a little longer at the crease. And
18:41when you're lasting a little longer, that doesn't mean you'll just eat up the deliveries. You'll also
18:47look to score at least 130 or 140 strike rate, which is not happening with Virat Kohli. In the
18:53last match we saw, he scored pretty decently. He played those 20-odd balls, 24-odd balls and
18:59scored that 34-odd runs. Something similar we need to see. And also, as I was talking about,
19:08he needs to stay a little longer. He was dismissed in the 6th over, 7th over. So,
19:15for him to take on Adam Zampa, it is important for him to stay in the middle and keep that
19:20scoring rate going. So, yes, because of the fact that one of the best batters for India against the
19:30Aussies historically has been Virat Kohli, a lot will depend on the way Virat Kohli tackles the
19:36Aussie bowlers tonight. Because that will not just send a message to the Aussies. In fact,
19:42it will send the message to the opponents in the upcoming games that, okay, Virat Kohli is finally
19:49here and he is in a mood to send a statement that it may be his swan song, but he is still
19:58the very best that we have seen. So, whatever discussion we had so far, it's quite clear
20:07Australia don't have a chance. Avinash, you are very biased, I have to say that.
20:11Yeah. Yes, we are. And we just hope that the team lives up to this bias. Because I was there,
20:21Dada, on that fateful day on November 19, as you know, I was outside the stadium. I could see
20:28one lakh plus people turning out in blue jerseys. There was a, I mean, the fanfare, the atmosphere,
20:37it was all buzzing. But around 8pm or 8.30pm in the evening, all that excitement, anticipation,
20:48I mean, it had all been blunted out by the Aussie team and people started exiting
20:57the stadium pretty early. Even before 40 overs were completed in the second innings. So,
21:04that was the atmosphere. It was so gloomy that I didn't have the, I mean, I was finding it very
21:11hard to even communicate with the spectators who were exiting the stadium. So, we've seen that as
21:20well. And so, I expect the Indian team to just sort of, it won't be a revenge-revenge, but a
21:32smaller revenge. Because the revenge can only be taken when you are defeating Australia
21:38in a final of an ICC tournament. No, no, no. Don't ask for that.
21:46That's not going to happen, I think. It shouldn't happen. I mean, exactly. So,
21:50a revenge for Team India. Let's take it as the Chennai game.
21:55Yeah. And I think they will take it as Chennai game. Because the pitch also at Saint Lucia
22:03will be a little bit of aid to the Indian spinners. Well, well, well. We are really excited,
22:13actually. You see, you can't wait to see the battle beginning at 8 o'clock. A lot of fun,
22:21lot of music, lot of funfair, lot of fan going there. And as I said, it's a starting of a week
22:30and then people are little laid back when they go back to work. But tonight, when they come back,
22:36they are in for a treat. Avinash has already predicted it's Australia all the way, right?
22:43Am I right? Oh, sorry.
22:49I am backing Team India. They are going to win this match.
22:55Also, the best thing is they don't have anything to lose. I mean,
22:58and so they can play fearlessly. Yeah.
23:04I mean, and then don't play fearlessly in a knockout. Don't do that. I mean, I pray to
23:08Cricket God, please give us a chance because you have been fair to the opposition all this while
23:13for 11 years. Be fair to us for a change. That will really change the entire dynamics of cricket.
23:20Cricket is such a big thing in India. It generates so much of opinion. The kind of people we have
23:24playing this game in the country is quite staggering. Lakhs and lakhs. You know how
23:31involved I am at the grassroots level, Avinash, and I see players are so madly in love with this
23:37game. Thanks a lot for sharing your views and hope for an India win and India walking into the
23:42semi-final slot. And as we said, one foot is already there inside that semi-final ring and
23:49hopefully it will be a smooth sailing and we come back home. And on 1st of July or 30th of June,
23:55we are celebrating and probably on 29th June, let's start the celebration from there on. And
24:02it's unending, I hope, like it happened in 2007. I was there in Mumbai and remember it was
24:08quite a dramatic scene. I don't know if it will be a repeat of what we saw in Mumbai that day.
24:14It will be a repeat of that show, Street Party. We've really been starved of that, you know.
24:20Hopefully that happens. Avinash, thanks a lot for sharing your thoughts and we'll be back again and
24:25hopefully after India's win. Take care and keep watching Pitch Battle.