Dubai [UAE], March 4 : Australia captain Steve Smith felt a couple more runs on the board could have changed the complexion of the entire semi-final following their Champions Trophy campaign-ending defeat against India on Tuesday.
In a high-stakes clash dominated by echoes of the past, India avenged its 2023 final heartbreak by sending Australia through the exit door with an exhilarating four-wicket triumph in Dubai.
Glimpses of the past reverberated in the stadium after Travis Head provided a brisk start with his swift 39 (33). With Australia scoring at a healthy run rate, a total somewhere around 300 appeared to be plausible.
The only factor keeping them from hitting their goal was Indian bowlers regularly breaking their partnerships at crucial junctures. Smith admitted that if they had managed to drag one of their stands, 280 would have been a realistic total.
"Having said that, we probably could have put a few more on. We lost a couple of wickets at crucial times. If we got 280-plus, things could have been different," Smith said in the post-match presentation.
"Always felt like we were one wicket too many down at each stage of the game. If we were able to drag one of those partnerships, that's probably where we get to 280, then there's a little bit more pressure on the game," he added.
Australia managed to limp its way to a modest 264, which eventually proved insufficient. Virat Kohli turned out to be the hurdle Australia couldn't get past in the time, even with all their might.
Their pedigree of knockout games wasn't enough to prevent Virat from pulling off one of his classic chase masterclasses. The 'Chase Master' delivered a special 84(98) to steer India towards their destination to the final.
Despite witnessing Australia's hopes crumble, Smith praised his bowlers for pulling off a "good job" against India's star-studded batting lineup.
"Everyone did a really good job tonight. It played pretty similarly throughout, to be fair. Little bit of hold for the spinners, little bit of spin here and there and a bit of skid. And the pacers, it was just some two-paceness to the wicket; balls were holding a little bit. It wasn't the easiest batting conditions, probably why the scores were where they were," he said.
"I thought the bowlers did a really good job, they worked hard throughout, the spinners squeezed and enabled us take the game a bit deeper than potentially could have done. It was a tricky wicket to start on batting and tough to rotate the strike at times," he added.
Australia cruised to semi-final despite being light on its artillery. The absence of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood was a massive dent in their hopes, but youngsters embraced the challenge by carrying the baton even if it wasn't till the end.
"The way we've come together. The bowling attack was quite inexperienced; they did a wonderful job throughout. Some of the batters really stood up and got some big totals," he said.
"That game against England, we played exceptionally well. There were glimpses tonight of some really good stuff as well. Some really good cricketers in that change room, and they are going to continue to get bigger and better," he added.