Australia knocked India out of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 beating the defending champions by 95 runs in the second Semi-Final of the tournament in Sydney on Thursday. The final will be held between the two host countries New Zealand and Australia at Melbourne on March 29. Australia scored 328 runs for 7 wickets after their captain Michel Clarke won the toss and chose to bat first at Sydney Cricket Ground. In reply, India were all out scoring 233 runs in 46.5 overs. Steven Smith smashed his fourth one day international century while Aaron Finch bagged his seventh ODI half-century to power Australia towards a giant total. Smith reached his hundred in the last delivery of 33rd over driving Mohammed Shami out of the boundary. The 25-year right hand batsman played 89 balls and hit 10 fours and 2 sixes to complete his century. He later added another boundary and was out at 105. Smith and Aaron Finch built a 182-run partnership in the second wicket off 31 overs after Umesh Yadav eliminated David Warner (12) in the first delivery of the 4th over. Finch scored 81 runs. The 28-year right hand batsman played 116 balls and hit 7 fours and a six. Mitchell Johnson smashed unbeaten 27 runs off 9 balls with 4 fours and a six. Besides Shane Watson and Glenn Maxwell added 28 and 23 runs respectively. India pacer Umesh Yadav claimed 4 wickets for 72 runs in 9 overs while Mohit Sharma bagged 2 more for 75 runs. Chasing a giant total of 328 runs, India scored 76 runs in the opening partnership of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma. However, Australia claimed four quick wickets of openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma along with Virat Kohli and Suresh Raina within 32 runs. Dhawan who was dropped at 5 by Aussie wicketkeeper Brad Haddin scored 45 off 41 balls with 6 fours and 1 six. Kohli only added 1 run. Rohit Sharma who gave two chances in the first over scored 34. Raina added 7. But India skipper MS Dhoni tried to ease the loss adding 70 runs in the 5th wicket partnership with Ajinkya Rahane. Aussie pacer Mitchell Starc struck on the second ball of 37th over and got Ajinkya Rahane (44) out. Later, a direct hit from Maxwell sent the Indian skipper to home in the 3rd ball of 45th over. Dhoni scored 65 off 65 balls with 3 fours and 2 sixes. Australia pacer James Faulkner struck twice in the two consecutive balls of 46th over to claim the 8th and 9th wicket of India. The defending champions could not go further and were all out for 233. Faulkner took 3 wickets for 59 runs while Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson bagged two each for 28 and 50 runs respectively.
