IND vs AUS Review: Kohli, Shami put India in third successive Champions Trophy final
India registered a four-wicket win against Australia in the first semi-final of the 2025 Champions Trophy at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium in Dubai on Tuesday, March 4.
Australia won the toss and opted to bat first, but they didn’t get off to an ideal start, losing Cooper Connolly in the fourth over. However, Travis Head tormented India once again with his aggressive batting and got the Aussies off to a fantastic start after the initial setback. Steve Smith dropped anchor from the other end.
After Head’s dismissal, Smith formed crucial partnerships with Marnus Labuschagne, Josh Inglis, and Alex Carey. The Australian captain registered a gritty half-century, but Labuschagne and Inglis failed to make it big. After Smith was dismissed for 73, Carey took the onus on himself to help Australia score as many runs as possible in the death overs. The southpaw was run out for 61 off 57 balls before the Men in Yellow were bowled out for 264 in 49.3 overs.
India lost the wickets of Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma inside the first eight overs. However, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer started a resurgence by stitching a 91-run partnership. After Iyer was dismissed for 45, Kohli formed crucial partnerships with Axar Patel and KL Rahul. The former India captain played the holding role while Axar and Rahul tried to score some quick runs. The Axar-Kohli partnership yielded 44 runs.
Meanwhile, Kohli and Rahul added 47. After the 36-year-old was dismissed for 84, Hardik Pandya came out to the middle and hit sixes for fun. Rahul hit the winning runs in style when he lofted Glenn Maxwell for a huge six over wide long-on. India reached the target in 48.1 overs to make it to the final.
Top performers of the match
Virat Kohli – 84 off 98 balls
Kohli had already scored a century against Pakistan earlier in the tournament. On Tuesday, he slammed 84 off 98 balls, showcasing his ability to deliver in run-chases. He hit five fours during his knock and focused on running hard between the wickets. His partnerships with Iyer, Axar, and Rahul proved to be very crucial.
Mohammed Shami – 3/48
Mohammed Shami went wicketless in the last two games after starting the Champions Trophy campaign with a five-for against Bangladesh. However, he stepped up in the knockout fixture, bagging the wickets of Cooper Connolly, Steve Smith, and Nathan Ellis. He conceded 48 runs in his 10 overs.
What’s next for the two teams?
India will face the winner of the second semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Sunday, March 9. Meanwhile, Australia’s campaign in the Champions Trophy has ended, and they will shift their focus to the World Test Championship final, which will be played after the 2025 Indian Premier League.
