In the foothills of the highest peaks in the world, Dharamsala hosted the highest-scoring World Cup game of all-time as Australia held off New Zealand in a 771-run thriller that reached giddying heights and featured records galore.

Travis Head made a stunning 59-ball century as he and David Warner clubbed 118 runs in the opening powerplay and shared a staggering 175-run opening stand to underpin Australia’s mountainous 388, becoming the first side in ODI history to post three consecutive 350-plus scores. But Rachin Ravindra produced a dazzling 77-ball century of his own while Daryl Mitchell continued his love affair with Dharamsala in making 54 to give New Zealand a chance to pull off their highest-ever ODI chase.

It was left to James Neesham at the end, as it had been in the World Cup final in 2019, and as he did on that occasion he went within one hit of stealing the game with an outstanding 58 off 39 balls. But he ended like his Lord’s partner Martin Guptill, cutting a forlorn figure face first on the turf having been run out off the penultimate ball. Mitchell Starc, having been plundered everywhere, held his nerve off the last ball to deny Lockie Ferguson the six he needed and hand Australia a vital two points.

Starc could have very easily been the villain for Australia. New Zealand needed 43 off 18 balls with two wickets in hand. Starc and Josh Hazlewood missed their marks. Trent Boult got some personal redemption for 2019 when Marnus Labuschagne stood on the rope at long-on to hand him six runs. Starc had 19 to play with at the start of the last over but was allowed only four men outside the circle because of Australia’s slow over-rate. He delivered five wides second ball to reduce the equation to 13 off five. But he nailed his yorkers as Neesham couldn’t find the rope and Australia’s sweepers made some great saves before Labuschagne and Josh Inglis combined to run out Neesham off the second-last ball.

In a game dominated by batters, Adam Zampa’s 3 for 74 proved pivotal for Australia, including the key wickets of Mitchell, Tom Latham and Mitchell Santner. But he wasn’t the best bowler in the game. Glenn Phillips produced stunning career-best figures of 3 for 37 for New Zealand, including 30 dot balls, to singlehandedly drag his side back into the contest after Head and Warner threatened to kill it off in 13 overs of carnage after Australia were sent in to bat.

Head justified Australia’s selectors’ gamble in keeping him in Australia’s 15-man squad despite not being available for the first five games. Head and Warner reached dizzying heights in the Himalayan air with a violent display of batting that left New Zealand’s in-form fast bowlers broken in mind, body and soul with Ferguson suffering an Achilles injury on top of three overs for 38. Head clubbed 109 from 67 balls while Warner pounded 81 from 65.

The pair treated the bowling with utter disdain on the magnificent batting strip. Warner was savage on anything short reaching 50 for the third straight innings, off just 28 balls. Head looked like he had never been away, despite hardly picking up a bat for six weeks. He bludgeoned anything full reaching 50 off 25 balls, Australia’s second-fastest ever in the tournament and the fastest by a World Cup debutant.

Phillips’ introduction in the 14th over changed the game. Australia were 144 for 0 but he immediately tied Warner down with immaculate lines and lengths. He never gave the stumps away, hardly overpitched or dropped short. Warner had scored 65 off 36 but managed to score just 16 from his last 29 deliveries including eight dots off Phillips before he chipped a return catch in the 20th over.

While spin stalled Warner, Head kept going fearlessly. He had some luck. He was dropped twice, once on 70 by Santner diving one-handed full length to his right off his own bowling, and once on 75 by Phillips standing close at midwicket as Head hammered a full-blooded pull shot.

Head raced to his century off 59 balls, the fastest by an opener in World Cups. But he too was deceived by Phillips, playing back to a fuller, quicker ball and lost his middle stump.

Then Australia’s customary middle-order stumble unfolded. Mitchell Marsh really struggled having been shifted back to No. 3 on Head’s return. His lack of strike-rotation caused an agitated Steven Smith to hole out to mid-off of Phillips. Labuschagne also struggled. The pair allowed Phillips to bowl 30 dot balls in his 10 overs and scored just 54 off 77 balls between them before they both fell to Santner.

Australia looked like they had wasted the good work of Warner and Head until Glenn Maxwell, Josh Inglis and Pat Cummins smacked 11 fours and seven sixes between them in the death overs to help Australia post an imposing 388. Maxwell was again magnificent making 41 off just 24 balls. Inglis made 38 off 28 and Cummins 37 off just 14 with four towering strikes. But both were aided by some uncharacteristic drops from the New Zealand outfielders.

Australia were 387 for 6 with two overs to go but lost 4 for 1 to be bowled out with four balls left with Trent Boult picking up three wickets in an over. It didn’t seem an issue at the time but it nearly proved costly.

New Zealand started well in the chase but were unable to match Australia’s powerplay fireworks. Devon Conway and Will Young both looked in excellent touch but neither could cash in on stunning starts with Hazlewood claiming both with the help of Starc’s sublime catching.

Ravindra battled for rhythm early, but Mitchell dragged him along in his slipstream during another sensational half-century that he reached off 42 balls. Mitchell treated Zampa and Starc with equal disdain, looking every bit the world-class batter he has become. But Zampa had the last laugh forcing a miscue to have Mitchell caught at long-on.

Ravindra started to motor once Mitchell fell. He shared a half-century stand with Latham and a 43-run stand with Phillips. Ravindra raced from 50 to 100 in just 28 balls. He had not hit a six until he was 45 and he struck five to get to three figures, all of which were as pure as the mountain air. He was dropped by Maxwell just after reaching three figures, but it didn’t cost much as he holed out shortly after.

But his innings brought New Zealand within reach of a record chase as they were on the same score as Australia with 10 overs to go. Neesham kept his cool as Australia lost theirs. Starc, Hazlewood and Cummins all missed the mark as Neesham and the tail found the boundary at will.

When Matt Henry holed out New Zealand needed 43 off 18 before bedlam unfolded. But Australia held on and consolidated their semi-final chances with New Zealand left to rue another Dharamsala defeat.