Australia, the reigning world champions, failed to put up a strong fight in the first semi-final of the Champions Trophy, largely due to poor fielding and dropped catches.
Virat Kohli once again showed why he is called the ‘King’ of ODIs, playing a masterful innings while chasing. KL Rahul played the finisher’s role perfectly, helping India secure their third consecutive Champions Trophy final appearance by defeating Australia.
In a match marred by dropped catches, Australia couldn’t hold their ground and exited the tournament with a 4-wicket loss.
Bowlers Set the Foundation for India’s Victory
On Tuesday in Dubai, India’s bowlers laid the foundation for victory. Despite being in a strong position at 195/4 after 36 overs, Australia crumbled to 264 all out with three balls to spare. India chased down the target comfortably with 11 balls remaining.
This marks India’s third consecutive ICC tournament final across ODIs and T20s. The last time they reached an ODI final—the 2023 World Cup in Ahmedabad—they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Australia. This win, in a way, helps heal that old wound.
After winning the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rohit Sharma’s leadership, India is now on the verge of claiming another ICC trophy. They will face either New Zealand or South Africa in Sunday’s final, also in Dubai.
Shami Shines Again in an ICC Tournament
Mohammed Shami was India’s standout bowler, once again proving his worth in ICC tournaments. The experienced pacer took 3 wickets for 48 runs, providing an early breakthrough and later dismissing Australia’s top scorer, Steve Smith (73).
Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja supported well, taking two wickets each.
Kohli Leads the Chase in Style
Despite impressive bowling performances, the star of the match was undoubtedly Virat Kohli. Having already played a match-winning century against Pakistan in the tournament, he once again delivered, scoring a brilliant 84 off 98 balls.
Australia’s sloppy fielding played a role too—Kohli was dropped on 51, while Rohit Sharma was given two lifelines early in his innings.
KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 42 off 34 balls, sealing the win with a massive six.
Australia’s Struggles with Selection and Fielding
The semi-final was played on a different pitch than previous matches, one that was more favorable for batting. India stuck with their four-spinner strategy, while Australia picked three spinners, including leg-spinners.
Matthew Short’s injury gave all-rounder Cooper Connolly his first game of the tournament, but it turned into a forgettable outing. He was dismissed for a duck in 9 balls and later dropped Rohit Sharma’s catch in just the second over.
Soon after, Marnus Labuschagne also dropped Rohit at mid-off, failing to grab the ball after covering significant ground.
Rohit couldn’t capitalize on the chances, getting dismissed for 28, but he and Shubman Gill had already provided India a decent start.
Kohli, Iyer Steady the Chase
India lost both openers for 43 runs within the first eight overs, but Kohli and Shreyas Iyer stabilized the innings with a 91-run partnership. Kohli reached his fifty off 53 balls, though he got another life when Glenn Maxwell dropped him at short cover.
Iyer fell for 45 (62 balls), but Kohli kept pushing India forward with crucial partnerships—44 runs with Axar Patel and 47 with Rahul.
Just as he looked set for a century, Kohli was dismissed for 84, caught at long-on off Adam Zampa. However, his innings saw him become only the second batsman in ODI history to score 8,000 runs in successful chases, after the legendary Sachin Tendulkar.
Kohli also overtook Tendulkar in another record—he now has the most 50+ scores (24) in ICC ODI tournaments, surpassing Tendulkar’s 23.
Pandya’s Cameo Finishes the Game
India needed 40 runs from 44 balls when Kohli got out, but Hardik Pandya ensured there were no hiccups. He smashed Tanveer Sangha for a six before launching Zampa for two consecutive maximums.
With just six runs required, Pandya fell for a quick 28 (24 balls), but Rahul finished things in style with a huge six.
India’s Unwanted Toss Record
Interestingly, India started the match with an ‘unwanted record.’ They have now lost the toss in 14 consecutive ODIs, setting a world record. Rohit Sharma has personally lost 11 tosses in a row.
Australia’s Batting Collapse
India’s bowlers made a strong start, with Shami dismissing Connolly in the third over. The left-hander struggled for six consecutive balls before throwing away his wicket.
Shami could have had Travis Head as well, but he missed a return catch off his own bowling. Head made the most of the reprieve, smashing Pandya for consecutive boundaries and a six, then hitting three straight fours off Shami.
It looked like a repeat of the 2023 World Cup final, where Head’s 137-run knock had dismantled India. However, this time, Varun Chakravarthy stopped him at 39 (33 balls), giving India much-needed relief.
Steve Smith and Labuschagne then built a 56-run stand, but Jadeja dismissed Labuschagne for 29 (36 balls) and soon sent Josh Inglis packing.
Smith and Alex Carey kept the innings going with a 54-run stand, and at one point, it seemed Australia might reach 280 or even 300.
However, Shami’s low full toss bowled Smith for 73 (96 balls, 4 fours, 1 six), and after Maxwell’s poor shot selection led to his dismissal, Carey fought back to score a fifty in 48 balls. But he was run out in the 48th over for 61 (57 balls), and Australia collapsed before completing their 50 overs.
Australia Misses Key Players
Missing several of their top bowlers, including Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood, and Mitchell Starc, Australia still managed to reach the semi-finals—a commendable achievement.
Who knows? If they had scored a few more runs and fielded better, the outcome might have been different.
Match Summary
Australia: 264 all out in 49.3 overs
- Head 39, Connolly 0, Smith 73, Labuschagne 29, Inglis 11, Carey 61, Maxwell 7, Dwarshuis 19, Zampa 7, Ellis 10, Sangha 1*
- Bowling: Shami 3/48, Pandya 1/40, Kuldeep 0/44, Chakravarthy 2/49, Axar 1/43, Jadeja 2/40
India: 267/6 in 48.1 overs
- Rohit 28, Gill 8, Kohli 84, Iyer 45, Axar 27, Rahul 42*, Pandya 28, Jadeja 2*
- Bowling: Dwarshuis 1/39, Ellis 2/49, Connolly 1/37, Zampa 2/60, Sangha 0/41, Maxwell 0/35, Head 0/6
Result: India won by 4 wickets
Player of the Match: Virat Kohli
