Australia put up 389 on the board, in Dharamsala, and New Zealand came within one six of chasing that down. It was 19 runs needed off the last over with an in-the-mood James Neesham going strong. Pat Cummins turned to Mitchell Starc, who went wicketless for the first time in 24 ODI World Cup matches and must have been feeling the nerves. Not to mention every other person watching this all unfold. At the height of the chaos, Australia captain Cummins felt like one of these riveted spectators.

“That was awesome,” a grinning Cummins said after the game. “Sometimes, I had to remember I’m in the middle of a cricket field; it was a fantastic game. They just kept coming at us. It was fantastic.”

Tom Latham, New Zealand’s captain, echoed Cummins’ sentiments. “It was a fantastic game of cricket, ebbs and flows throughout the 100 overs, and then, I guess to come so close… obviously hurts but it was a fantastic game.”

Starc missed his line and gave away five wides second ball of the final over, leaving New Zealand needing 13 off five. Neesham got the ball into the outfield three consecutive times but agile fielding – from Marnus Labuschagne in particular, putting in the yards repeatedly at deep midwicket – ensured none of these were boundaries. Cummins appreciated that.

“Marnus, out there, throwing himself around, it’s not the easiest ground here [to field on],” he said. “But the way the guys threw themselves around, hung on to the catches, made a big difference.”

Australia were ahead for most of the game, thanks to a 175-run opening stand between Travis Head and David Warner. Head was returning to the side after a broken hand left him on the sidelines for Australia’s first five games of the tournament, and he hit his straps right away with a punishing 67-ball 109.

“Love that”, Cummins said of the partnership. “Especially Trav, who’s been away for five weeks, to just get back in the game; just their intent – that’s the way we want to play, we want to take the game on and that led from the front.”

“Not really,” Cummins said when asked if Head had shown any signs of his being in this sort of form ahead of the game. “He was close to playing against Netherlands and had a hit [in the nets] the day before, just didn’t quite feel right. [Then he] managed to have a couple more [nets] before this one. He surprised all of us.”