India Storms into Champions Trophy Final
Dubai will be the scene of the Champions Trophy final, and India has secured its place after a hard-fought victory over Australia in a captivating first semi-final. While a weakened Australian side put up a spirited challenge, India’s depth and experience ultimately proved decisive in their successful pursuit of 265, achieved with 11 balls to spare.
Australia missed key opportunities shifted the momentum. However, India’s consistent quality shone through, with veteran batsman Virat Kohli playing a pivotal role. Kohli, known for his masterful run chases, appeared to be on course for another century, mirroring his performance against Pakistan earlier in the tournament. However, an uncharacteristic attempt at a big shot ended his innings at 84. Nevertheless, his contribution was significant, pushing him past 8,000 runs in ODI chases and reducing the target to a manageable 40 runs off 44 balls.
KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya then took charge, efficiently whittling down the remaining runs. Pandya departed with India just a single hit away from victory, leaving Rahul to reprise his finishing role from the 2023 Chennai World Cup clash between these two teams. This time, he sealed the win emphatically with a six over long-on off Glenn Maxwell’s bowling.
The final scoreline read India 267 for 6 (Kohli 84, Iyer 45, Rahul 42*, Ellis 2-49, Zampa 2-60) defeating Australia 264 (Smith 73, Carey 61, Shami 3-48, Jadeja 2-40, Varun 2-49) by five wickets.
