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Kohli leads India to Champions Trophy final with victory over Australia

rugby04 March 2025 18:38| © MWP
By:Neil Manthorp
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Virat Kohli’s imperious 84 led India to a comprehensive four-wicket victory in their ICC Champions Trophy semifinal against Australia at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Tuesday to book their place in Sunday’s final against either South Africa or New Zealand who contest the second semifinal on Wednesday.

Requiring 265 for victory India lost openers Shubman Gill (8) and captain Rohit Sharma (28) inside the Power Play but Kohli and Shreyas Iyer (45) added 91 for the third wicket to put the pre-tournament favourites firmly back in control.

Leg-spinner Adam Zampa (2-60) removed both batsmen, Iyer bowled and Kohli caught slog-sweeping with the game all-but over, but KL Rahul (42*) retained his composure while Hardik Pandya smashed three sixes and a four in his 28 from 24 balls before holing out against seamer Nathan Ellis with just six runs required.

Kohli’s reputation as the best run-chaser in the history of ODIs was further enhanced with his 84 runs coming from 98 balls with just five fours while Rahul replaced early caution with aggression hitting a pair of fours and sixes in his 42 from only 34 balls, victory being secured with 11 balls to spare.

"This game is all about pressure, especially in big games like semis and finals," said player of the match Kohli.

"If you go deep into the innings and have wickets in hand, the opposition usually gives in and the game becomes easier. It is very important to control your impulses while the game is going on."

"I take pride in doing what my team wants," added the 36-year-old Kohli.

"Those things (individual records) don't matter anymore for me. It's just about stepping out and hopefully doing the job for the team."

Australia captain Steve Smith said of Kohli: "He's arguably the best chaser the game has seen. He's done it numerous times against us.

"He controls the tempo of the game really well, plays to his strengths and takes the game deep."

SMITH TOP SCORES FOR AUSSIES

Earlier half centuries from Smith and Alex Carey helped Australia reach a competitive total of 264 all out in 49.3 overs after choosing to bat first but a second-string bowling attack was unable to defend the target.

Captain Smith top-scored with a hard-working 73 from 96 balls which included just four fours and a straight driven six before missing a full toss from fast bowler Mohammad Shami (3-48) but Carey worked just as hard to keep the lower order together with a more fluent 61 from 57 balls with eight fours and a six.

Opener Cooper Connolly (0) barely laid a bat on his first eight balls before edging the ninth from Shami to ‘keeper KL Rahul but Travis Head was at his belligerent best with five fours and two sixes in his 39 from just 33 balls before driving the first ball from wrist-spinner Varun Chakravarthy (2-49) to Shubman Gill at long on.

Marnus Labuschagne (29) was the perfect man to eke out a large score on a dry pitch offering low and uneven bounce and looked well on his way reaching 29 from 36 balls before the excellent left-arm spin of Ravindra Jadeja (2-40) trapped him lbw.

Josh Inglis (11) chipped one the many deliveries from India’s four spinners which gripped and ‘stopped’ in the pitch to Kohli at cover while Glenn Maxwell (7) swept the second left-armer, Axar Patel, for a six over square but was bowled playing back to the next delivery.

Australia’s hopes of pressing beyond 280 ended when Shreyas Iyer produced a powerful throw and direct hit to run Carey out at the start of the 48th over.

The contest was a rematch of the World Cup final during which Australia silenced a 100 000+ crowd at the Narendra Modi Stadium in November 2023 with a resounding six-wicket victory.

This time the tables were turned with India comfortably avenging that defeat.

The final will now be played in Dubai because of India’s place in it while host nation Pakistan will finish the tournament by stripping the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore of its tournament livery and standing down the staff and security who were on standby for Sunday’s big match.

© Additional reporting from AFP

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