Mumbai: The pain of November 19, 2023, may have eased a little more for Indian fans as the Men in Blue delivered a clinical performance to defeat Australia in the semi-final of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. While the scars of the World Cup final loss to Australia still linger, India landed a knockout blow in a major ICC one-day international tournament for the first time in 14 years.
Australia, hamstrung by injuries to key players, including full-time captain Pat Cummins, tried to punch above their weight. However, the gulf in class was evident, particularly when stand-in skipper Steve Smith appeared bereft of ideas as his inexperienced bowling attack struggled to contain chase master Virat Kohli. Without the firepower of Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and Josh Hazlewood, Australia failed to put India’s formidable batting line-up under sustained pressure after posting a total of 265—at least 20 runs short of a competitive score.
Indiaaaaa winssssssssss 🇮🇳🇮🇳🇮🇳💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙
— Indian Cricket Team (@incricketteam) March 4, 2025
Team India qualifies for the 2025 Champions Trophy final 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆#INDvsAUS | #ChampionsTrophy pic.twitter.com/jIPu5xxW0C
Virat Kohli may have missed out on a well-deserved century, falling for a well-paced 84, but by the time he departed in the 43rd over, the game was all but secured. Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul kept their composure, ensuring India completed the chase with ease, wrapping up the match with 11 balls to spare. India scripted history by registering the highest successful run chase against Australia in a knockout match of an ICC tournament. And they went past the finish line in style, with KL Rahul sealing the win in emphatic fashion—hitting the winning runs with a six.
India’s Champions Trophy Dominance Continues
With this victory, India reached the final of the Champions Trophy for the third successive time, having won the title in 2013 and finishing as runners-up in 2017. It also marked India’s third consecutive final appearance in ICC white-ball tournaments, following their runner-up finishes in the 2023 ODI World Cup and the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Despite the early dismissals of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill, India completed the chase comfortably, reaffirming their dominance in the tournament. Kohli and Shreyas Iyer took control of the game with a composed 91-run partnership in the middle overs. Both batsmen played risk-free cricket, rotating the strike efficiently while capitalizing on boundary-scoring opportunities.
Axar Patel, once again promoted to No. 5, ensured the scoring rate did not dip after Shreyas Iyer’s departure. The left-hander embraced the role of aggressor, easing the pressure on Kohli. His 27-run cameo may not have been substantial in numbers, but its impact was invaluable in maintaining India’s momentum.
Disciplined Bowling Effort Restricts Australia
The pitch in Dubai for the semi-final was typically sluggish but proved more favorable for batting compared to India’s group-stage matches. Given the conditions, Australia would have been disappointed not to post a more imposing total, especially after looking set to cross 300 at one stage. At 110 for 2 in the 23rd over, they appeared well-placed, but a disciplined Indian bowling effort, led by senior pacer Mohammed Shami, derailed their momentum in the latter stages.
With this dominant performance, India will now set their sights on the grand finale, hoping to end their ICC title drought and reclaim the Champions Trophy.
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