T20 World Cup 2024: Will rain spoil India vs Australia match and put Mitchell Marsh-led side's fate in Bangladesh's hands? Check weather update

Who will play the T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal from Group 1? The answer will be out on the last day of Super 8 clashes. After losing to Afghanistan for the first time in international cricket, Mitchell Marsh’ Australia desperately need a win against India to qualify for the semifinals. If they don’t win or the match gets washed out, they will hope that Bangladesh beat Afghanistan and do them a favour. 
 

St Lucia weather forecast

As per weather.com, thunderstorms are predicted. But Australia will have their shot at the semifinal spot as there are only five per cent chances of rain during the match. The weather conditions are unlikely to spoil Australia’s chances of reaching the last four. 
 

St Lucia pitch report

Pacers are expected to get more purchase from the wicket. A high-scoring contest is on the cards in St Lucia. West Indies scored 218 against USA on the surface whereas South Africa managed to defend 163 against England. Given the conditions, Mitchell Starc will walk into the playing XI after missing the Afghanistan clash. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma will face a dilemma on whether to go with the winning combination or bring in Mohammed Siraj for Kuldeep Yadav. 
 

"It gets drier in a day game when the sun is out, it would be a good game tomorrow. Here we don't get much spin. We get nice bounce but not a lot of spin on this black soil pitch. I would play an extra pacer. The surface is more suited to the pacers and has consistent pace and bounce.
 

"Bowlers will need to bowl well else they get punished," a member of the groundstaff told PTI.

 

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India vs Australia head-to-head

India and Australia have gone up against each other five times in T20 World Cups. India have won three out of five games. The last time they took on Australia was in T20 World Cup 2016. In a virtual quarter-final, India beat Australia by six wickets as Virat Kohli remained unbeaten for 82 in the Mohali run chase.
 

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Squads: 

India: Rohit Sharma(c), Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant(wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal
 

Australia: Travis Head, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh(c), Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Tim David, Matthew Wade(wk), Pat Cummins, Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, Josh Inglis, Cameron Green, Nathan Ellis
 

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