IND vs. AUDS: India has carried on its record of winning and reached the finals for the Champions Trophy 2025 by defeating Australia in a nerve-wracking semi-final by 4 wickets, chasing 265 runs. While playing at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Kohli guided India’s chase with a fine innings of 84 runs but fell short of scoring a century, leaving the rest of the team along with the fans in agony. For this, he received the Player of the Match award.
Australia’s roller coaster 1st innings
Australia won the toss and chose to bat first in the semi-finals, with Travis Head and Conoly opening by their side. In the first three overs, both batsmen faced difficulty facing Mohammad Shami’s deliveries.
Head was given a chance on the second ball of the match, where Shami dropped his caught and bowled chance. The reaction was also less when the ball reached Shami in 0.63 seconds.
Later Conoly was dismissed by Shami and Smith came in to bat at no. 3. Head got the license to play liberally after Smith’s arrival and smashed 39 runs off 33 balls. That’s when Varun Chakravarthy was handed over with the ball and took the big wicket of Head by bowling a googly, Head hit it over to the long-off where Shubhman Gill took a beautiful catch.
Later, Smith and Marnus Labuschagne managed to build a partnership in the middle overs, but soon, Marnus became Jadeja’s prey, getting an LBW down the leg. With the help of Alex Carrey, Australia managed to put up a good score of 264 runs on the board. After Marnus got out, Smith and Maxwell lost their wicket at the crucial time, and they fell short of 20 runs on board.
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India’s trembling start in IND vs AUS
India came to bat with their usual best pair Rohit Sharma and Shubhman Gill, soon Gill was unluckily dismissed via LBW by Dwarshuis down the leg in the initial overs itself. Gill failed again in the knockout match whereas in the last match also his dismissal came early against New Zealand. Virat Kohli came in to bat at no.3 and started with the pursuit of chase.
Rohit Sharma looked fine at the start but got out to Conoly via LBW while trying to sweep on the square area despite a good start. Nonetheless, Shreyas Iyer came in to bat with his sheer confidence and built a crucial partnership alongside Kohli, contributing 42 runs from the bat Shreyas got out to Zampa being bowled by the leggie.
Axar Patel’s innings also looked great at the start where the runs kept coming consecutively in the middle overs, however, unfortunately, got bowled by the sheer delivery of Nathan Ellis. Dependable man of India KL Rahul came in to bat amid India’s chase to fetch the final’s ticket. He did it gracefully by rotating strikes in each over and getting near the target comfortably. Finally finished off in style with a six at the end and took revenge on Australia in the 2023 World Cup finals.
India’s Road to the Final Of Champions Trophy 2025
India’s victory over Australia marks the third consecutive time the team has reached the final of the Champions Trophy, a feat that is a testament to the country’s consistent performance on the global stage.
The Indian team had previously won the title in 2013 but suffered a loss to Pakistan in the 2017 final. This semi-final win is a significant achievement, pushing them to another opportunity to claim the coveted trophy.
Virat Kohli’s Stellar Contribution in IND vs AUS
Virat Kohli was the standout batsman for India in this inning. After early wickets to Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma, Kohli steadied the ship and forged a vital partnership with Shreyas Iyer.
His sedate batting ensured the Indian chase was back on track. Kohli got his half-century in style and seemed very much on track to score his second century of the tournament.
However, Kohli’s innings was cut short in the 43rd over when he fell to Adam Zampa’s bowling. Trying to clear the long-on fielder, Kohli mistimed the shot, and the ball was comfortably caught by Dwarshuis in the deep. The Indian star’s innings ended at 84 runs off 98 balls, which included 5 well-placed boundaries. While his innings were composed and intelligent, it was his failure to convert the innings into a century that left everyone, from his teammates to the fans in the stadium, feeling a sense of missed opportunity.
Looking Ahead: India’s Chance for Glory in Champions Trophy 2025
India’s semi-final win over Australia sets the stage for an exciting final in the Champions Trophy 2025. With players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer in good form, the Indian team will be looking to add another title to their illustrious cricketing history. However, the near-century by Kohli and the disappointment it caused will remain a talking point for the team as they prepare for the ultimate challenge in the final.
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As the Indian team moves forward, they will no doubt reflect on the missed opportunity of Kohli’s century but will also recognize the invaluable contributions that led them to the final.
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