Australia, despite missing key players, fought hard, but India’s experience guided them to a successful 265-run chase with 11 balls left.
Dubai will host the Champions Trophy final, with India securing their spot. They defeated a weakened Australia in a gripping semi-final. India’s victory was hard-fought. Australia had chances to shift the game in their favor. However, India’s experience proved decisive. Virat Kohli played a key role. He had earlier scored a century against Pakistan. This time, he looked set for another but fell at 84. His uncharacteristic big-hit attempt cut his innings short. By then, he had already crossed 8000 ODI chase runs. He left India needing just 40 runs from 44 balls.
KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya finished the chase efficiently. India took only 33 balls to seal the win. Pandya fell just before victory, but Rahul ended it in style. He smashed a six-off Glenn Maxwell to finish the game.
Rahul and Pandya hit five sixes and three fours. India’s boundary count (16 fours and seven sixes) was slightly lower than Australia’s (20 and eight). India’s win came from smart play. They faced only 124 dot balls compared to Australia’s 153. India also ran 158 of their runs between wickets, while Australia managed 129.
India’s batters kept the scoreboard ticking. Five players scored over 25 runs. The biggest difference, however, was the bowling attacks. India’s spinners dominated, restricting Australia’s batters effectively. Their collective dotball percentage was 50%, while Australia’s was just over 39%.
India stuck with four spinners on a dry pitch. The surface played slow and low rather than offering a sharp turn. India’s spinners controlled the game better than Australia’s. They kept stumps in play and limited scoring options.
Despite this, Australia looked set for a 300-run total at times. Three of their batters played crucial innings. However, all three lost their wickets at critical moments. Each dismissal came when they seemed most dangerous.
Travis Head was dropped in the first over by Mohammed Shami. He struggled early but found rhythm later. He raced from 1 off 11 balls to 39 off 32. India feared a repeat of his Ahmedabad 2023 performance. Then, he mistimed a wrong’un from Varun Chakravarthy and fell at long-off.
Steven Smith played aggressively, using clever shot placement. He made 73, building partnerships with Head, Labuschagne, and Carey. He had some luck, as Shami dropped a return catch. Axar Patel also forced an inside edge that didn’t dislodge the bails.
Smith fell at a crucial moment. With Australia at 198 for 4 in the 37th over, he stepped out against Shami. He tried to drive a full toss but missed. The ball crashed into his off stump. Five balls later, Glenn Maxwell also fell. He slog-swept a six off Axar but then missed a pull shot.
The game shifted rapidly in India’s favor. Alex Carey fought back. He arrived at 144 for 4 after Labuschagne and Inglis departed quickly. He counterattacked, placing shots smartly. His first boundary set the tone. He backed away and lofted Jadeja over midway. The placement was perfect, with no fielder guarding that area.
Carey played with intent, using sweeps and lofted shots. He raced to 60 off 56 balls. However, in the 47th over, he made a costly mistake. Attempting a risky second run, he was caught short by Shreyas Iyer’s direct hit. These moments shaped the match. Australia were bowled out for 264 with three balls left. India controlled the chase and secured their place in the final.
