Credit: ICC
India pummelled Australia by four wickets in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final held in Dubai and became the first team to enter the final of the competition. Chasing 265 runs, the Men in Blue lost their openers Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma early but Virat Kohli held his nerves and proved why he is considered the man of big games. Riding on his 84 off 98, India chased down the total comfortably with 11 balls to spare. Following India’s comfortable victory against the Men in Yellow in the semi-final, SportsTiger revisits instances when both heavyweights clashed with each other in ICC knockouts.
Knockout Trophy 1998 quarter-final in Dhaka
Back in 1999, when the maiden edition of the Champions Trophy (formerly known as the Knockout Trophy) was held in Bangladesh, India and Australia played against each other in the quarter-final in Dhaka and the former bagged a 44-run win. Sachin Tendulkar dominated the game with 141-run innings off 128 balls and got the player of the match (POTM) award for his stunning innings. The Master Blaster also scalped four wickets with the ball in his 9.1-over spell.
Knockout Trophy 2000 quarter-final in Nairobi
India continued their dominance against Australia in the Champions Trophy in 2000. This time, they both squared off against each other at the quarter-final of the competition again. Yuvraj Singh stood tall against Australia’s quality bowling attack and hit an excellent 84-run innings off 80. Riding on his innings, India posted 265/9 in their 50 overs and the Aussies fell 20 runs short while chasing the score.
World Cup 2003 final in Johannesburg
In the final of the 2003 World Cup at Johannesburg, Australia thumped India by 125 runs and lifted the coveted trophy for the third time. Captain Ricky Ponting took India’s bowling unit to the cleaners and smashed an unbeaten 140 off 121. The Aussie skipper’s innings helped the Men in Yellow to deliver a target of 360 to India which proved too tall to reach for the Sourav Ganguly-led side.
T20 World Cup 2007 semi-final in Durban
Yuvraj Singh showcased his batting mettle against Australia in the maiden edition of the T20 World Cup semi-final held in Durban in 2007. The southpaw’s 70-run innings off 30 deliveries played a vital role in India’s 15-run win against the dangerous Australian side. Yuvraj’s batting brilliance also made him the recipient of the POTM award.
World Cup 2011 quarter-final in Ahmedabad
India played a fierce brand of cricket in the World Cup 2011 quarter-final in Ahmedabad and Yuvraj again stepped up for India in handing the Aussie another knockout defeat. This time, India were tasked to chase 261 runs and the left-handed batter took India home with five wickets in hand with his unbeaten 57 off 65.
World Cup 2015 semi-final in Sydney
Hosts Australia were a formidable side in the World Cup 2015 under Michael Clarke’s captaincy and their wrath knocked out India from the competition. In the crucial semi-final game in Sydney, Steven Smith stepped up and hammered bowlers mercilessly. The right-handed batter scored 105 off 93 and helped Australia put up 328/7 on the board. Smith’s innings shattered India’s confidence as they capitulated on 233 in 46.5 overs.
World Test Championship (WTC) final 2023 in London
Australia lifted their World Test Championship (WTC) mace under Pat Cummins’ leadership after beating India at the iconic Oval in June 2023. Travis Head and Steven Smith hit centuries from their bats in the first innings. Their tons hit India’s confidence as they got folded on 296 while following Australia’s 469 in the first innings. Taking the lead ahead, Australia tasked the Rohit Sharma-led side to chase mammoth 444 runs. Pursuing the mammoth score, India surrendered on 234 and handed Cummins and his men a massive 209-run win. Head got the POTM award for his 163-run knock in the first innings.
World Cup 2023 final in Ahmedabad
After troubling India in the WTC final 2023, Head caused another pain to India in ICC knockouts. This time, he racked up 137 runs off 120 against the Men in Blue in the final played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Following the average target of 241, the Aussies lost three quick wickets but Head didn’t hesitate to play aggressively which shattered India’s dream of lifting the World Cup trophy for the third time.
Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final in Dubai
India and Australia met at the Champions Trophy after 16 years with their semi-final contest in Dubai. Batting first after winning the toss, Australia posted 264 runs in their 50 overs but Virat Kohli exhibited fighting spirit and played an 84-run innings off 98 balls. Kohli’s batting made him the POTM award winner in India’s four-wicket success.
