Rohit’s onslaught began right after India were handed an initial blow with Josh Hazlewood removing Virat Kohli for a duck; in the next over, Rohit took on Mitchell Starc and smashed 28 runs off his over (29 overall, with a wide), hitting the premier Aussie quick for four sixes. Rohit didn’t lose the tempo throughout his innings, hitting seven fours and eight towering sixes; he reached his fifty in just 19 deliveries.

However, with only eight runs remaining for his century, Rohit was done in by a yorker-length delivery from Starc in the 12th over of the innings. Despite the disappointment, Rohit’s knock of 92 proved the major difference between the two sides; while India ended with a strong score of 205/5, Australia could only reach 181/7.

Rohit was named the player of the match and in the post-match presentation, the Indian captain was asked about his thoughts on missing his century. The skipper, however, was indifferent to the fact that he could’ve become the first captain in T20 World Cup history to breach three figures. Rohit reiterated his quote from the previous game, insisting that milestones aren’t a priority in the shortest format.

“I told you in my last post-match presentation, too, that 50s and 100s don’t matter to me. I want to bat with the same tempo and playing shots whenever necessary and put pressure on the bowlers,” Rohit said in the post-match presentation.

You want to carry on and get the big score, yes, but you also want to keep the bowler guessing on where the next shot will come. And that’s something I managed to do today. I managed to access all areas, and not just one side of the field,” the Indian captain added.

India face England next

The side will have a semi-final rematch against England in Guyana, as the side will look to avenge the heartbreak at the same stage in the previous edition, where Jos Buttler’s men crushed the side by 10 wickets.

England qualified for the semis after wins over the West Indies and the USA in the Super Eight stage.