In the Men's Cricket World Cup 2015, which country defeated India in the semi final match?

Introduction / Context:
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 was co hosted by Australia and New Zealand and featured some high profile knock out matches. India reached the semi finals and faced a strong opponent in that stage. This question checks whether you remember which team ended India's campaign in the semi final, a common topic in cricket related general knowledge questions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The event is the Men's Cricket World Cup 2015.
• The match of interest is the semi final involving India.
• Options include Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Pakistan and Australia.
• We assume the official ICC match results for that tournament.

Concept / Approach:
The key concept is recalling the knock out path of India in the 2015 World Cup. India entered the semi finals unbeaten in the tournament, but their run was stopped by the co host Australia in a match played at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Sri Lanka had been eliminated earlier, Pakistan were defeated by Australia in the quarter final, and New Zealand played their semi final against South Africa. Therefore, recognising that Australia faced India in the semi final and won is essential to answering the question.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the 2015 World Cup was jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand.Step 2: India progressed unbeaten to the semi finals after winning their group and quarter final matches.Step 3: In the semi final, India played against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground.Step 4: Australia scored a strong total, and India, despite a good start, failed to chase it down, losing the match.Step 5: Therefore, the team that defeated India in the semi final was Australia.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify this by remembering that following their semi final victory over India, Australia advanced to the final and then defeated New Zealand to win the 2015 World Cup. Pakistan had been eliminated by Australia in the quarter final stage, and Sri Lanka did not reach the semi finals. New Zealand's semi final opponents were South Africa, not India. This sequence of matches confirms that Australia is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Sri Lanka was knocked out earlier and did not face India in the semi final. Pakistan met Australia in the quarter final and lost there, so they were never India's semi final opponent. New Zealand contested their semi final against South Africa and later lost to Australia in the final, so they also could not have eliminated India. Hence, none of these teams fits the description given in the question, leaving only Australia as correct.

Common Pitfalls:
Some learners may confuse the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, or they might mix up quarter final and semi final opponents. Another pitfall is to assume that New Zealand defeated India simply because New Zealand was a finalist and co host. Careful recall of the match at the Sydney Cricket Ground and the subsequent Australia vs New Zealand final helps to keep the knockout path clear and avoid these mistakes.

Final Answer:
In the 2015 Men's Cricket World Cup semi final, India lost to Australia.