5 wides, sensational run out, Super Over hopes: How nerveless Starc crushed NZ hopes in dramatic last over vs Australia

A nerveless Starc denied New Zealand to get over the line in the dramatic final over as Australia's sensational campaign turnaround continued in all its glory

If ODIs are dead, is what they said, the last two matches of the 2023 World Cup have marked an absolute funeral of those words. On Saturday, less than 24 hours after South Africa clinched a thriller against Pakistan, winning by only a wicket in Chennai in a nail-biter of a chase, New Zealand and Australia produced another absolute eye-feast, one that the tournament, and more so the format, desperately needed. Eventually, it was a nerveless Mitchell Starc that denied New Zealand to get over the line in the dramatic final over as Australia's sensational campaign turnaround continued in all its glory with a fourth consecutive win on the trot.

Mitchell Starc held his nerves in the final over to hand Australia another World Cup win

To chase 369, a team requires one from the top-order to provide a fiery start, another or the same to score a century, and then a few subsequent assisting knocks. New Zealand had all those ingredients. After the openers started off fearlessly with a 61-run stand in seven overs, Rachin Ravindra, who has been a revelation for New Zealand in this World Cup, carried his sublime form to score his second century in this tournament before Daryll Mitchell and James Neesham contributed with valiantly fifties. Yet the 2019 runners-up, fell short, by the barest of margins. On the batting-friendly Dharamsala ground, New Zealand lost by just five runs where the contest had come down to the final over, the first ever that World Cup 2023 witnessed.

Trent Boult's six over long-on against Josh Hazlewood and Neesham's boundary to the shorter deep mid-wicket region in the penultimate over reduced the target to just 19. Adding to the drama, Australia were short of the over-rate heading into the final over and hence could field only four players outside the circle.

With Starc being handed the responsibility for the final over, Boult managed a single in the opening ball to bring the well-set Neesham on strike before the fast bowler conceded 5 wides after the fuller delivery down the leg side beat wicketkeeper Josh Inglis to sprint towards the boundary rope.

With 13 needed from 5, Neesham knew that all he needed was a boundary more to rattle the Aussie bowler. After getting a double in second ball, he looked for the long-on region by drilling the fuller one past Starc and then heaved the length ball on the fourth delivery through mid-wicket. But the desperate efforts went in vain courtesy of brilliant fielding from Glenn Maxwell and Marnus Labuschagne respectively as Neesham settled for two runs each from the two deliveries.

Was it heading towards a Super Over? With Neesham still on strike, the possibility seemed increasingly large as commentators on air teased the idea.

New Zealand still needed seven from two, and Neesham slogged the low full toss from Stac in the fifth ball towards mid-wicket which was followed by a cry for two runs, but New Zealand's last hope fell inches short, reminiscent of the scenes from 2019 World Cup final as Labuschagne's stunning effort along with with Inglis' acrobatic dive to dislodge the bails saw Neesham in sheer agony.

Starc then went around the wicket against Lockie Ferguson, dished out a fuller one outside off and all the batter failed to make an impact. The fielder at cover stopped the effort and Australia sealed the Trans-Tasman battle.

Despite the win, Australia remain at the fourth spot, but have managed to increase the gap with fifth-placed Sri Lanka in battle for the semifinal battle. New Zealand, who incurred their second defeat in this World Cup, both at Dharamsala, remain in the third spot.