India Secured Spot at the Champions Trophy Finals

For a long time, Australia dominated the knockout stages of an ICC event. But perhaps there is a need to modify this today. India may not have the aura just now, but it is only a question of time. They’re going to play their fifth final in seven 50-over international competitions, having defeated the OGs with ease. KL Rahul completed a chase masterminded with surgical accuracy by Virat Kohli. India advanced to the final of the 2025 Champions Trophy by defeating Australia, a team that has given them nightmares in key games in recent years, by four wickets in Dubai. They will face either New Zealand or South Africa in the final on Sunday.

Summary of IND vs AUS Champions Trophy Semi-Final

Virat Kohli certainly has the aura. He only needs the awards to go with it. And on Sunday, he’ll be competing for one after playing one of his cleanest innings, 84 off 98 balls, in which nothing seemed out of reach. He was quite good at spin. He tricked Australia into wasting a review. He nicked overthrows from direct strikes. He yelled at his partners’ boundaries. He was vintage. Spin had slowed him down in the past, but it didn’t stop him here. He faced 70 balls and scored 63 runs, with only 12 off boundaries. It meant he was constantly rotating strikes. He was not absorbing dots.

Australia’s depleted bowling attack, missing regular skipper Pat Cummins, new-ball menace Mitchell Starc, and the metronomic Josh Hazlewood, could do little to stem the run-flow on the greatest batting pitch Dubai has provided in the tournament. It appeared to be extremely dry, prompting Steven Smith to stack his XI with up to six spin bowling options before batting first, hoping that run-scoring would grow tough as the day progressed. Either it did not happen, or Kohli’s class shone through. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.

Australia Smashed by 264

Australia were dismissed for 264. At one point, it appeared that the reigning World Champions would win at least 280, if not more. However, a stunning comeback powered by Mohammed Shami’s 3/48 and some solid support from Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja ensured that India had less than 270 runs to chase down in order to qualify for the Champions Trophy final.

After Steve Smith won the toss and chose to bat, Australia suffered an early setback when Shami dismissed Copper Connolly for a painful duck. Travis, India’s adversary, battled in the first few overs but then switched gears successfully, instilling dread in the hearts and minds of Indian fans. Head raced to 39 until Chakaravarthy spooked him with an incorrect one, giving India a much-needed breakthrough.

Smith and Marnus Labuschagne then dug in, forming a steady 56-run partnership. However, just when their alliance appeared to be jeopardizing, Ravindra Jadeja smacked Marnus on the pads, bringing him out of LBW. Josh Inglis, the newcomer, waited a few moments before throwing a straightforward catch to Virat Kohli. Australia’s hopes relied on their skipper, Smith, who achieved a tenacious half-century but fell 27 runs short of a century when he missed a full delivery and was bowled by Shami.

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