IND vs AUS, Champions Trophy 2025 Semi

Hardik Pandya, or should we say Hardik 'clutch' Pandya earlier took India on the brink of a famous win by his barrage of sixes. He was dismissed for a 28 off 24 balls but not before he had done the job. Virat Kohli fells completely against the run of play. He picked up the wrong one from Adam Zampa, but failed to clear the man at long-on. The Aussies were cock-a-hoop. Indians not so much. Kohli walks away with a look on his face that every Indian fan can relate to at the moment. KL Rahul is disappointed, and he makes it a point to convey it to Kohli.

Rahul took up the aggressor's role, beginning to score at a strike-rate of near about 100, allowing Kohli to take his time and play accordingly at the other end. Kohli was well-set, and in the company of Rahul took India past the 200-run mark. India still have five wickets left in their kitty as we enter the final 10 overs of the match. For the first time in their chase, India's run-rate has escalated a bit, rising to 6 but nothing alarming given the batting they still have.

Rahul joined Kohli after Axar Patel missed a pull shot and heard the dreaded sound of timber to end what turned out to be a promising partnership of 44 runs. Shreyas Iyer, who was looking so good, and put on a partnership of 91 runs with Kohli, was undone by a ripper from Adam Zampa. He was clean bowled by the Aussie leg-spinner after Australia's Glenn Maxwell put Virat Kohli down. Kohli rose to the occasion to score a magnificent half-century.

Iyer and Kohli are motoring along nicely, keeping the required run-rate in check and getting the occasional boundary in between. Australia, and Cooper Connolly in particular, has made up for dropping Rohit Sharma, by dismissing the India captain for 28. Two wickets in two overs and Australia have doused India's fantastic start. Rohit missed a full ball and was given out LBW, the review not saving him. This happened shortly after Shubman Gill was cleaned up by Ben Dwarshuis.

Australia were bowled out for 264. At one stage, the reigning World Champions looked set for at least 280, if not more. But a brilliant comeback, led by Mohammed Shami's 3/48 and some able support by Varun Chakaravarthy and Ravindra Jadeja, ensured India had less than 270 to chase to book themselves a place in the Champions Trophy final.

After Steve Smith won the toss and opted to bat, Australia were rocked early, with Shami dismissing Copper Connolly for a painful duck. Travis Head, India's nemesis, struggled the initial few overs but switched gears effectively shortly after to send fears into the hearts and minds of the Indian fans. Head raced to 39 before Chakaravarthy foxed him with a wrong one to give India a much-needed breakthrough.

Smith and Marnus Labuschagne then dug in, forging a watchful 56-run partnership. However, just when their alliance began to look threatening, Ravindra Jadeja struck Marnus on the pads, getting him out of LBW. The new man in, Josh Inglis, hung around for a while before lobbing a simple catch to Virat Kohli. Australia's hopes rested on the shoulders of their captain, Smith, who scored a dogged half-century but 27 short of a hundred, missed a full toss to be castled by Shami. One brought two as in the next over Glenn Maxwell smoked a six, only to be clean bowled the next ball by Axar. Carey kept Australia ticking with a cracking fifty of his own, but Shreyas Iyer produced a brilliant piece of fielding, nailing a direct hit from the deep to run him out.