Credit: BCCI/X
India have succesfullly avenges the 2023 World Cup final defeat and defeated Australia by five wickets in the semi-final to enter their third consecutive Champions Trophy final in 2025. For India, Virat Kohli turned out to be match-winner again with his knock of 84 runs. Batting first, Australia were bowled out for 264 runs in 49.3 overs. In reply, India chased the winning target in 48.1 overs with KL Rahul scoring an unbeaten 42 runs.
Coming to bat first after winning the toss, Australia lost their first wicket at the score of four runs in 2.6 overs as Cooper Connoly went back after a nine-ball duck. After that,Travis Head and Steve Smith took charge of the innings as the duo added 50 runs for the second wicket. Despite getting a good start, Head got out after scoring 39 runs off 33 balls. After that, Marnus Labuschagne joined Smith at the crease as they both put up a partnership of 56 runs. Smith played a captain’s knock of 73(96) runs hitting four fours and one six. Apart from that, Alex Carey also scored 61(57) runs with eight fours and a six as Australia reached the 260-run mark. For India, Mohammed Shami took three scalps, Varun Chakravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja scalped two wickets each, while Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel scalped a wicket each.
Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer guide India to win 91-run partnership
Chasing the winning target, India didn’t get the start they wanted as they lost two wickets for 43 runs with Shubman Gill and skipper Rohit Sharma going back to the pavilion. After that, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer took charge of the innings as the duo put up a partnership of 91 runs for the third wicket. Iyer got out after scoring 45(62) runs with three boundaries. Axar Patel also contributed with 27(30) runs with one four and one six. Nearing his hundred, Kohli also got out after scoring 84 runs off 98 balls hitting five boundaries.
Hardik Pandya also contributed with 28 runs off 24 balls with one four and three sixes. After that, KL Rahul gave finishing touches with an unbeaten 42*(34) runs as India chased the winning target in 48.1 overs losing six wickets.
