Aussies book place in World Cup final

Australia’s pace power crushed India at the SCG last night to set up an enticing ANZAC showdown with co-host New Zealand in the World Cup final on Sunday.

Spearhead Mitch Johnson saved his best performance of the summer for the biggest game of the season when he laid two killer blows that wrecked the reigning champion’s top order and set up the 95-run win.

Two direct hit run outs late in the innings complemented the stellar pace display and although captain MS Dhoni briefly threatened to produce a miracle until Glenn Maxwell threw him out from midwicket, India were held to 233.

Australia maintained their 40-year record of never losing a World Cup semifinal while Steve Smith remained a talisman for a team that has never lost when he has reached 50.

Just as he has done throughout his Test career, Johnson summoned his all-round powers to twin a dashing display with the bat with a stunning effort with the ball.

Out of sorts to such a degree three months ago that he was considering his future in the game, and operating for much of the season well below the impact that savaged England during last year’s Ashes campaign, Johnson found a well of energy to turn the game in Australia’s favour.

Johnson hammered an unbeaten 27 from nine balls at the end of the Australian innings to stretch a potentially under-par score to an intimidating 7-328.

Then he struck and struck again to dismiss dangermen Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma after a bright start to the run chase had given the raucous pro-Indian crowd of 42,330 plenty to cheer.

Kohli skied an awkward hook to fall for just one while Sharma, whose lively 76-run opening stand with Shikhar Dhawan ended when the left-hander sliced Josh Hazlewood to Glenn Maxwell on the cover boundary, played on in Johnson’s second spell.
India have not beaten Australia in any format during 4 ½ months in this country and could not find the formula to break their duck last night.

Smith continued his brilliant summer at the scene of one of his greatest triumphs with a sparkling career-high 105, his fourth one-day ton and eighth of a remarkable season.

The ease of his century, which came from 93 balls and included 11 fours and two inventive sixes, was in stark contrast to his colleagues who either battled for fluency or squandered their starts.
Aaron Finch appeared to take forever over 81 while key hitters David Warner and Maxwell perished cheaply attempting the big strokes that are their stock in trade.

And Michael Clarke, whose 10 was potentially his last innings on home soil had Australia lost, also fell attempting to pull an Indian paceman.

India appeared to be in hibernation mode at the start of the summer but their self-belief and lively pace attack awoke with the prospect of winning consecutive World Cups.

Umesh Yadav, whose tough Test summer included the most expensive three over spell in the game’s history, was the destroyer with 4-72.

He claimed Warner, Smith and Finch with rapid short balls that the batsmen could not control as they attempted to heave into the legside and later bowled the slogging Faulkner.

Then the irrepressible Mohit Sharma forced an error from Clarke whose pull floated to the bowler’s namesake Rohit Sharma at midwicket while Watson eventually picked out a man on the midwicket fence.

Delighted to bat first on an exceptionally dry surface that may turn significantly during the evening, Clarke’s joy at Smith’s start turned to anguish as his batsmen became increasingly bogged down.

Finch struggled for fluency during much of his innings, lumbering to 11 off 27 balls at one stage, and finally reaching 50 off 82 before he lofted Yadav to Shikhar Dhawan at 81.

He survived a tight lbw appeal at 44 when India’s frenetic appeal and referral to the video umpire which vindicated Richard Kettleborough’s original decision.

Maxwell came and went in a blink of an eye, flogging three fours and a massive six in his rapid 23, before picking out the deep man off Ravi Ashwin.

Australia were eying off 350 or more when Maxwell started hitting but his departure in the 38th over put paid to that ambition.

Warner looked dangerous but departed for just 12 the ball after he had heaved Yadav for six.

The next delivery was identical and Warner attempted an identical short-arm jab over midwicket but only managed to spoon a catch to mid off.