Australia vs New Zealand, 27th Match at Dharamsala, World Cup 2023, Oct 28 2023 - Match Result

6:48pm Right. If anyone ever asked you what a see-saw World Cup contest looked like, this would be it. Australia, at the half-way point, seemed way ahead in the contest. Until...they were not. And credit for that must be given to New Zealand and for the way they kept coming at them. It was not enough in the end and while this loss might sting, having come so close, it will infuse confidence into the NZ camp - confidence that they can fashion winning situations from improbable circumstances.

It was a pleasure bringing this game to you, and we hope you enjoyed our coverage. A few hundred miles away, in Kolkata, the Dutch are slugging it out against Bangladesh, do hop over for some more sizzling Saturday action. Until next time, from me, Alex, Chandan and Venkat Raghav, this is goodbye!

Pat Cummins, Australia captain: (On the game in general) That was awesome. Sometimes I have to remember I was on the field. They kept coming at us. It was fantastic. (On the opening partnership) I loved that, especially from Trav, who has been away. That is how we want to play, take the game on and they led the way. (On the bowling display) It was a good wicket. I thought, in patches, we bowled really well. Other times, we gave too much width away. Some really good partnerships that were tough to get into. (On the fielding effort) Marnus out there, throwing himself around at the end. Not the easiest fielding grounds here but the boys threw themselves around. We have a few days' break. Will enjoy this one and then get stuck in (for the next game).

Tom Latham, New Zealand captain: (On his thoughts on the game) Fantastic game of cricket. Ebbs and flows throughout. To come so close, obviously it hurts. They played fantastically well and put us on the back foot from the start. He bowled fantastically to come and bowl ten overs for 30 and take three wickets, at crucial times. To bowl his full ten from one end was great and his work is paying off. (On the run-chase) When you are chasing close to 400, you have to play the perfect game. Young and Dev (Conway) got us off to a good start. Rachin played an extraordinary knock - one of the better knocks you will see. (On playing in Dharamsala) Great place to play, really special place to be in. (On the Rugby World Cup final) Just want to say all the best to the All Blacks and hopefully they can bring the World Cup home.

Travis Head, Player of the Match: (On how he is feeling) Nice to be back, nice to be contributing. Very close (game) in the end. Was a hell of a game. (On his preparation) Only had a couple of hits. Little bit like the WTC, where I had a few weeks off. Have a few bruises that I can definitely strap up over the next couple of days. (On the partnership with Warner) Think we play together really well. Complement each other well. We try to stay connected with each other, stay in the moment and we want to be as positive as we can.

6:30pm Phew, what a game and it will take everyone (including me) who watched this game a minute or two to regain their breath. New Zealand were in it. They were in it right until the end. And that, in itself, tells a story because they were chasing down 389. What hurt them, though, is the way they kept losing wickets when they seemed poised to cash in and when a partnership was going strong.

Take nothing away, however, from Rachin Ravindra, who, almost single-handedly, brought New Zealand to the brink of an improbable win. Mitchell also notched up a half-century and don't forget Neesham's heroics that almost propelled the Kiwis to a victory. But as the dust settles, they would rue the fact that none of the other batters supported Ravindra as much as they would have liked through the middle.

Australia, on the other hand, will be relieved more than anything else, especially having gotten 388 in the first innings. Hazlewood and Zampa looked the most penetrative with the ball, and for a while, it seemed that their decision to not bowl out Hazlewood would come back to bite them. In the end, they just had enough runs on the board, and their ability to keep picking wickets throughout the innings served them well.

Ferguson on strike. Six runs needed. A six will do the trick for NZ. Anything else, and Australia will be home

7 off 2 now

9 off 3 now. Neesham needs a boundary, right about now. Long off, long on, deep mid wicket and deep square leg on the fence

11 off 4. One six here, and they are probably ahead of the game

13 off 5 now

18 off 5. Neesham needs a boundary early in this over to make Starc feel the pinch

Australia are an over behind and they now need to have five fielders inside the circle. 19 needed off the final over. Long on, deep square leg, deep cover point and third man on the fence. Who are you backing?

Does Neesham take the single or try to hit a boundary?

25 off 10. Game very much on now

A bit of running repairs for Neesham it seems, and probably a message from the dressing room. Hazlewood to bowl the penultimate over

32 needed off 12. Neesham has shown a lot of trust in Boult's batting abilities so far but if NZ are to get there, Neesham has to face a chunk of the 12 balls that remain

Surely Boult has to play in even numbers this ball?

Two balls left. A boundary (or a six) and then a single would be at the top of NZ's wish-list. 35 off 14 now. Mid off comes up. Four fielders on the fence on the leg side. Deep point on the fence too

Around the wicket

Starc versus Boult. Australia will not mind this. Watch out for scurried singles and possible byes (and a run-out)

Mojo Jojo: "Will Ferguson bat? " -- He is padded up but Boult coming in ahead of him tells you that he may not be in a great condition to run