Australia v India

	Aaron Finch applauds Steven Smith on his hundred © Getty Images Enlarge
Related Links Tour and tournament reports : The World Cup in 2014-15 Matches: Australia v India at Sydney Series/Tournaments: ICC Cricket World Cup Teams: Australia | India

At Sydney, March 26, 2015 (day/night). Australia won by 95 runs. Toss: Australia.
Steven Smith had taken four Test hundreds off India in the southern summer, but his first one-day century against them - a wonderfully paced 93-ball 105 - proved the deepest cut, wresting India's grip from the World Cup they had won in 2011. Australia's progress to the last four had been stuttering, while India had gained seven straight wins.

But, in front of a crowd awash with Indian tricolours, Australia coasted home. Smith and Finch - whose attritional 81 was chalk to his partner's gourmet cheese - added 182 in 31 overs for the second wicket, before Johnson landed devastating blows with bat and ball. India had dismissed their opponents in all seven victories but, after snaring Warner with a short delivery, they overdid the ploy. Yadav took four wickets, but went at eight an over; Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma proved almost as profligate, lessening the value of ten tight overs from Ashwin.

From a healthy 232 for two, Australia could afford a wobble - they lost three for 16 - before Johnson's blistering nine-ball 27 smashed them well past 300. With Dhawan in swashbuckling form, India were on course until he picked out deep extra cover. Australia went for the throat: Kohli miscued a short one from Johnson, while Rohit Sharma played on, and a 70-run partnership between Rahane and Dhoni offered little more than nuisance value. Starc, fast and miserly, and Faulkner ensured India were dismissed for the only time in the tournament - a limp end to an otherwise excellent campaign. Asked about surrendering the trophy, a downcast Dhoni said: "It is something that doesn't really belong to anyone. We definitely took it from someone, so somebody took it from us." In 2011, that someone had been Australia. Four years on, they returned the favour, emphatically. DILEEP PREMACHANDRAN
Man of the Match: S. P. D. Smith.