Shabaz Nadeem's impressive bowling performance of 4 wickets for 15 runs helped India Masters secure a decisive victory over Australia Masters by 94 runs, thus qualifying for the finals.
With a target of 221 runs on the board, Australia, who had been in fine batting form, sent out their usual opening pair of Shane Watson and Shaun Marsh. Sachin Tendulkar entrusted the ball to Dhawal Kulkarni to start the innings.
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Shane Watson, who has been in great form, was dismissed by Vinay Kumar in the second over. Despite this early loss, Shaun Marsh and Ben Dunk provided Australia Masters with a strong start, scoring 45 runs in just 4 overs. However, Vinay Kumar struck again, dismissing in-form Shaun Marsh, which led to a collapse in the Australian batting lineup. Wickets fell quickly as Australia lost Dan Christian and Ben Dunk in the next two overs, reducing their score to 54 for 4.
At this point, India Masters were firmly in control of the match. Nathan Reardon and Ben Cutting attempted to stabilize the innings with a partnership, but it lasted only three more overs. The introduction of Shabaz Nadeem by Sachin Tendulkar proved to be a game-changer, as his exceptional spin bowling dismantled the lower middle order. From a precarious 74 for 4, Australia was soon reduced to 82 for 7.
Ben Cutting was the only Australian batter to put up a fight, remaining steady until the end with a score of 39 runs off 30 balls before being dismissed by Irfan Pathan. Australia’s innings concluded with McGain as the last wicket to fall, bowled out for 126 runs. This led to a comfortable victory for India Masters, who won the match by 94 runs.
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Overall, it was a fantastic team effort from India Masters, led by Sachin Tendulkar, who executed their game plan to perfection and won dominantly. With this victory, India qualifies for the finals, while Australia has been knocked out of the tournament. The winner of the second semi-final between West Indies Masters and Sri Lanka Masters will face India Masters in the final. Stay tuned as the IMLT20 reaches its exciting conclusion.
