WCL 2025: Shikhar Dhawan's 91 goes in vain as Australia Champions pull Off final-over chase against India Champions
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's decision to bowl first after winning the toss proved decisive for Australia Legends.
's unbeaten 91 off 60 balls and
's quickfire 52 not out off 23 deliveries helped India Champions post a competitive total of 203 for 4 wickets in their allotted 20 overs. The Indian innings was marked by steady partnerships and aggressive batting in the latter stages.
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India Champions started positively, reaching 44 runs without loss in the first four overs.
Robin Uthappa and Shikhar Dhawan provided a solid foundation, with Uthappa scoring 25 and Dhawan contributing 15 runs during this period.
The sixth over proved crucial for Australia as they claimed two quick wickets. Uthappa departed for 37 off 21 balls, while Ambati Rayudu was dismissed without scoring. India's score at this stage was 62 for 2 wickets after six overs.
Suresh Raina's brief innings of 11 runs from 11 balls came to an end when Brett Lee claimed his wicket.
Yuvraj Singh's short stay at the crease yielded just 3 runs from 4 balls, leaving India at 103 for 4 wickets.
Australia's chase began aggressively with
scoring 25 off 10 balls before being bowled by Harbhajan Singh. The opening partnership quickly accumulated 29 runs in the first two overs, setting the tone for the chase.
Piyush Chawla brought India back into the contest by taking two wickets in the sixth over, dismissing Shaun Marsh and Ben Dunk in consecutive deliveries.
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Australia's score after six overs was 52 for 3 wickets.
The middle overs saw Daniel Christian and
stabilize the innings. Ferguson continued his impressive form, eventually reaching a crucial half-century that proved instrumental in Australia's victory.
Ben Cutting's cameo of 15 runs from 6 balls helped accelerate the chase before his dismissal. Australia required 27 runs from 13 balls at this stage, setting up a tense finish.
The match went down to the final over bowled by
, with Australia needing 13 runs. The Australian team successfully scored the required runs with four wickets in hand, completing a well-executed chase.
For India Champions, this defeat marked their second consecutive loss in the tournament, despite posting a competitive total. Australia Champions successful run chase was built on consistent contributions throughout their batting order and effective partnerships at crucial stages.
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