India marched into the final of the Champions Trophy with a four-wicket victory over Australia in Dubai thanks to a brilliant 84 by Virat Kohli.
Chasing 265, Kohli made his 74th ODI fifty before being caught in the deep off Adam Zampa. KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya then added 34 runs to take India to the brink of victory. Pandya, who hit three massive sixes, fell for 28 with six runs needed.
Rahul finished off the game with a six off Glenn Maxwell. He had come to the crease after Axar Patel was bowled by Nathan Ellis for 27.
Australia had earlier grabbed the vital wicket of Shreyas Iyer who was bowled by Adam Zampa for 45. Iyer and Virat Kohli had added 91 runs for the third wicket.
India had lost two early wickets in their chase of 265. Shubman Gill was the first to go, being castled by Ben Dwarshuis for eight to leave India at 30/1.
Australia dropped Rohit Sharma twice before he became the second man out, trapped leg before by Cooper Connolly for 28 off 29 balls. At the end of 10 overs, India were 55/2.
Earlier, Australia were bowled out for 264 in 49.3 overs after electing to bat. Skipper Steve Smith top-scored with 73 while Alex Carey made 61. For India, Mohammed Shami was the most successful bowler with three wickets while Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja took two wickets apiece.
Carey had made a brisk 61 off 57 balls before being run out by a direct hit from Shreyas Iyer in the 48th over.
Steve Smith’s dismissal in the 37th over was crucial, preventing Australia from reaching 300+. Despite India's disciplined bowling, it was the well-paced fifties from Smith and Carey that helped Australia post a modest 264.
This came after Varun Chakravarthy sent back Ben Dwarshuis for 19. Dwarshuis and Carey had put on a valuable 34 runs for the seventh wicket.
Earlier, Glenn Maxwell hit a six off Axar Patel but was bowled off the next ball. His dismissal for 7 came soon after skipper Steve Smith was bowled by Mohammed Shami for 73. Smith and Alex Carey had put on 54 runs for the fifth wicket.
Shami had provided the first breakthrough, dismissing Cooper Connolly for a duck as India's bowlers kept the pressure on in the opening overs.
Connolly’s dismissal came after a dramatic appeal from India. A distinct sound was heard as he attempted a shot, and KL Rahul took a clean catch. The on-field umpire was unmoved, but India confidently took a DRS review. UltraEdge confirmed a faint edge, sending Connolly back and giving Shami the early breakthrough.
After the first wicket, Travis Head counterattacked with aggressive strokes before falling to Varun Chakravarthy, caught by Shubman Gill.
Following the wicket, Gill received a warning from the on-field umpires for releasing the ball too quickly after completing the catch at long-off.
According to MCC laws, a catch is considered complete only when the fielder has full control over both the ball and their own movement after making contact with it.
Jadeja claimed Australia's third wicket, dismissing Marnus Labuschagne for 29 runs. The umpire gave it out immediately, and Labuschagne consulted Steve Smith but opted against a review.
Jadeja followed it up by dismissing wicket-keeper Josh Inglis who was caught by Virat Kohli at cover for 11.
Earlier, Australia won the toss against India and chose to bat first in the first semi-final of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
The match serves as a rematch of the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 final, where Australia defeated India on their home turf. This time, India will be eager to settle the score by securing a place in the Champions Trophy final.
Team India has stuck with the same playing XI from their victory against New Zealand. Varun Chakravarthy, who impressed with a five-wicket haul in that match, retains his place, while Harshit Rana misses out.
However, Australia made two changes from their previous match-playing XI, bringing in Cooper Connolly for the injured Matthew Short and Tanveer Sangha for Spencer Johnson.
Reflecting on the toss, India’s captain Rohit Sharma admitted he was uncertain about whether to bat or bowl, stating, "When in two minds, it is better to lose the toss."
India Playing XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy.
Australia Playing XI: Cooper Connolly, Travis Head, Steven Smith (c), Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis (wk), Alex Carey, Glenn Maxwell, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Adam Zampa, Tanveer Sangha.
