Starc gets a talking to
Plays of the day from the second semi-final, between Australia and India in Sydney
Sharda Ugra in Sydney
26-Mar-2015
Brad Haddin was disconsolate after spilling a chance off Shikhar Dhawan • Getty Images
The thud
David Warner had sung the Australian anthem with gusto and emotion, drawing himself up to attempted Matthew Haydenesque heights, and arrived at the crease, suitably pumped up. It was clear, he wanted to dominate, he wanted to win the confrontation. He had pulled Umesh Yadav for a six off the last ball of his first over. He was ready to do it again. At the other end, his sombre companion Aaron Finch was holding him up, tied into a knot by Mohammed Shami in the third over, four dot balls in a row. When Warner got to face Yadav in the next over, he was twitching. The ball was short but not short enough, its leading edge finding Kohli under it, to thousands of hollering Indian fans. Warner's mini-mini-drama was over.
The review
Aaron Finch missed a ball which, in his innings, was not news itself. But when this happened, and he was given not out, Ravindra Jadeja was incensed. He thought Finch was plumb in front. It seemed like MS Dhoni disagreed. He thought the ball was outside off stump. But Jadeja would not stop pleading, so Dhoni gave in. It looked like he just couldn't be bothered arguing any more. The first replay made the Indians cheer, as did the second. It was only the third replay that showed that the ball had hit outside the off stump. The Australian fans laughed at the Indian fans.
Aaron Finch missed a ball which, in his innings, was not news itself. But when this happened, and he was given not out, Ravindra Jadeja was incensed. He thought Finch was plumb in front. It seemed like MS Dhoni disagreed. He thought the ball was outside off stump. But Jadeja would not stop pleading, so Dhoni gave in. It looked like he just couldn't be bothered arguing any more. The first replay made the Indians cheer, as did the second. It was only the third replay that showed that the ball had hit outside the off stump. The Australian fans laughed at the Indian fans.
The spill
The new ball has habitually provided Australia with at least a couple of chances for wickets, and in this tournament it has been a rarity for them to be spurned. After Shane Watson's low snare off Rohit Sharma was deemed to have grazed the turf, Shikhar Dhawan advanced to Josh Hazlewood and found himself in no sort of position to do anything other than edge a well-pitched delivery going across him. It was one of those edges that might have been taken by first slip but was definitely within the wicketkeeper's range, and so Brad Haddin leapt across to claim it. But his gloves were either too firm or too eager and the ball bounced out of them and firmly to ground. Haddin was disconsolate, and Australia worried - it was a chance that should have been snaffled.
The new ball has habitually provided Australia with at least a couple of chances for wickets, and in this tournament it has been a rarity for them to be spurned. After Shane Watson's low snare off Rohit Sharma was deemed to have grazed the turf, Shikhar Dhawan advanced to Josh Hazlewood and found himself in no sort of position to do anything other than edge a well-pitched delivery going across him. It was one of those edges that might have been taken by first slip but was definitely within the wicketkeeper's range, and so Brad Haddin leapt across to claim it. But his gloves were either too firm or too eager and the ball bounced out of them and firmly to ground. Haddin was disconsolate, and Australia worried - it was a chance that should have been snaffled.
The talking to
Something about Suresh Raina's entry to the middle, after Rohit Sharma's wicket, stirred Mitchell Starc to anger. After a relatively sedate over to Ajinkya Rahane, Starc's next had the bowler firing down three short balls at Raina. The third was slower and wider than the first two, and was called by umpire Kumar Dharmasena, but the follow-up was far more venomous than the ball itself, as Starc followed through extravagantly and delivered strong words in the direction of Raina. Another wide followed, and after Starc had finished the over with a ball on the stumps, he was spoken to most pointedly by Dharmasena about his overt aggression. Starc did not take entirely kindly to it.
Something about Suresh Raina's entry to the middle, after Rohit Sharma's wicket, stirred Mitchell Starc to anger. After a relatively sedate over to Ajinkya Rahane, Starc's next had the bowler firing down three short balls at Raina. The third was slower and wider than the first two, and was called by umpire Kumar Dharmasena, but the follow-up was far more venomous than the ball itself, as Starc followed through extravagantly and delivered strong words in the direction of Raina. Another wide followed, and after Starc had finished the over with a ball on the stumps, he was spoken to most pointedly by Dharmasena about his overt aggression. Starc did not take entirely kindly to it.
Sharda Ugra is senior editor at ESPNcricinfo