Virat Kohli plays sheet anchor’s role to perfection with 98-ball 84 (5x4) as Rohit Sharma & Co beat Australia by four wickets in well-contested semi-final at Dubai
India’s Virat Kohli during his patient 98-ball 84 against Australia in the Champions Trophy semi-final at Dubai yesterday. Pic/AFP
This wasn’t quite payback, but India traversed a little distance in erasing the pain of 19 November 2023 and the 50-over World Cup final with a commanding performance against Australia.
A knockout bogey in ICC tournaments that has dogged them since 2015 was emphatically put to bed at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium as Rohit Sharma’s men surged into the final of the Champions Trophy on Tuesday night, overcoming a spirited challenge from a below-strength Australian outfit marshalled superbly by Steve Smith.
In inarguably the best batting surface of four here so far, the Australians were bowled out for 264 in the final over after Smith opted to bat, perhaps 15 or so runs light given the platform that had been laid by Travis Head and the skipper himself. Smith played an excellent hand while making 73 and Alex Carey made a sparkling half-century hand later on to ensure that the early good work was not entirely undone, though by striking repeatedly and consistently through the innings, India ensured that they didn’t leave themselves with too much to do.
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India’s chase was rocked by a second cheap dismissal of Shubman Gill, and Rohit failed to capitalise on two dropped catches, trapped in front by left-arm spinner Cooper Connolly on the sweep. But the middle order stood up with the master of the chase, Virat Kohli (Player of the Match), once again setting his stall, though for once, he perished before taking his side over the finishing line. It was left to KL Rahul to apply the finishing touches, with a six off Glenn Maxwell that took India to a four-wicket win with 11 deliveries to spare.
India now await the winners of the second semifinal, between South Africa and New Zealand in Lahore on Wednesday, for the final scheduled at the DICS on Sunday.
Kohli and Shreyas Iyer offset the loss of Gill and Rohit with a third-wicket stand of 91, marked by smart running between the wickets even as Smith moved his inexperienced bowling line-up around expertly, never allowing the batters to line up a specific bowler. Kohli received a reprieve when the usually safe-as-houses Maxwell put him down at short extra-cover when he was 51, and even though he fell with victory 41 runs away, Rahul and Hardik Pandya ensured that there were few alarms.
India were also well served by Axar Patel, once again proving his utility at No. 5 with an intelligent innings. India’s chase was almost textbook, never allowing the required rate to get out of hand, and they knew that with the heavy artillery to follow, six an over was never going to be beyond them so long as they had wickets in hand.
Not for the first time in the tournament, India didn’t have a great day in the field. Mohammed Shami put Travis Head down off his own bowling with the first legal delivery of the day and also shelled a return catch to reprieve Smith but still ended up as the highest wicket-taker while an unchanged spin quartet was good in parts even though Kuldeep Yadav was well below his best. Every time Australia seemed to get on the ascendancy, India pegged them back with wickets, which perhaps proved decisive at the very end.
Brief scores
Australia 264 all out in 49.3 overs (S Smith 73, A Carey 61, T Head 39; M Shami 3-48, R Jadeja 2-40, V Chakravarthy 2-48) lost to India 267-6 in 48.1 overs (V Kohli 84, S Iyer 45, KL Rahul 42*; N Ellis 2-49, A Zampa 2-60) by four wickets
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