Dharamsala, India

Australia might have taken two points home against New Zealand in Dharamsala, but cricket won in the end.

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In perhaps one of the greatest games at this stage ever, Australia beat New Zealand by just five runs to keep themselves afloat in the race for the semis. For the Oz, returning Travis Head scored his maiden hundred, while Rachin Ravindra and Jimmy Neesham almost pulled off the highest-successful run-chase for New Zealand in tournament history.

New Zealand sent Australia out to bat first after winning the toss and paid the price for it instantly. With the Oz bringing in their x-factor Travis Head for this marquee World Cup clash, he turned this Australia Team into a hulk, slamming the star-studded Kiwi bowlers from the word go. Such was the impact of his inclusion that he and Warner brought up the team’s fifty inside the first five overs. 

Both openers completed their fifties, with Travis registering his fastest ODI half-century upon his return from the hand injury. Warner and Head recorded the highest total in the first ten overs in this edition of the CWC, adding 118 for no loss. 

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Glenn Philips provided the breakthrough by dismissing Warner on 81 and accounted for centurion Travis Head on 109 off 67 balls, including ten fours and seven massive sixes.

From Mitchell Marsh to Marnus Labuschagne, everyone contributed, but for the second game in a row, Glenn Maxwell’s onslaught kept the crowd entertained. Fresh from smashing the quickest World Cup hundred in 40 balls against the Netherlands in the last match, Maxi, as fans call him, hit 24-ball 41, hitting two sixes and five boundaries. 

Although Australia, at one stage, looked like breaching the 400 mark, some smart death bowling from Trent Boult restricted them to a whopping 388 in 50 overs.

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New Zealand looked upbeat in their chase, with Devon Conway and Will Young striking boundaries at will from ball one. After giving the desired quick start, Conway got caught in the short fine leg area by Mitchell Starc on 28. Hazlewood picked his second of the day by removing Young on 32. 

Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra kept the scoreboard ticking with outrageous shots, with Mitchell completing yet another fifty in this tournament. Adam Zampa removed him and took captain Tom Latham’s wicket as well. 

In the meantime, Rachin emerged onto the scene, slamming each bowler to every part of the ground in textbook cricket style, impressing everyone.

Looking dangerous from the outset, the young left-handed completed his second hundred of this edition, joining the elite list of players to hit the most hundreds in CWC during run chases.

Soon after he completed his ton, Rachin departed on a brilliant 116 off just 89 balls, caught in the deep off Pat Cummins. Zampa then returned to remove Mitchell Santner on 17.

Jimmy Neesham kept New Zealand in the game till almost the second-last ball of the day, completing his fifty, but it was a run-out that made all the difference. 

Australia won the match by five runs. 

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